Citizen participation in Colombia’s peacebuilding process. Analysis of the mechanisms for the participation of the victims of the armed conflict

This research analyzes from a qualitative perspective, the mechanisms of participation of the victims of the armed conflict in Colombia, in order to determine the type of participation that these mechanisms favor. The main collection technique used is the semi-structured interview with an official of the Unit for the Attention and Integral Reparation of Victims (Victims Unit), in charge of managing the participation of this population at the territorial level. The analysis technique used consisted of thematic analysis, using some of the theoretical categories proposed by Cornwall. It is concluded that participation spaces promote the empowerment of victims, strengthens the State-victims relationship and enhance the relevance of public policies. However, participation is mainly of a consultative nature and not necessarily permeate decision-making. Among the obstacles identified are the exclusion of part of the victim population, lack of resources, politicization and weak monitoring.