The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced on Wednesday that some 100,000 young people from Colombia’s remote and humble regions will be elected as new peace managers, as well as a monthly payment of one million pesos (about 200 euros) to enable them to study.
Petro has pointed out that the beneficiaries of this measure will be low-income young people as they are «the fundamental basis of peace», stressing that it will mean «little money» for the State. «If my math does not fail me it will be 1,200 million (235,000 euros),» he said during an event to promote youth employment.
With this figure of peace manager, Petro’s government intends to involve young people from social and humanitarian organizations so that they can participate from their communities in the process of national reconciliation.
Some of these peace managers will come from several of those arrested in the social outbreak of 2021, as confirmed by Petro. The controversy arises because they could be members of the ‘First Line’, a group of demonstrators who during those protests clashed with a police force that was widely questioned for excessive use of force.
«It is a measure that seeks reconciliation», explained the Minister of Justice, Néstor Osuna, who in view of the commotion had to clarify that it is not a pardon or an amnesty, since those persons designated as peace agents who have debts with the justice system will have to answer for them.
