Is Peace your Business? The Private Sector and Peace Talks in Colombia

Abstract

The escalation of the Colombian conflict over the past few years has placed a considerable burden on the Colombian private sector. This is revealed by climbing rates of capital flight, the destruction of infrastructure such as energy and communication towers and roads, the kidnappings and extortion of business executives, and the growing tax burden to support the war effort. As a result, more business members today realize that the Colombian conflict scares away foreign investors and prevents domestic capital from being used productively.