Forums for consultation and follow-up of the peace agreements in Guatemala: lessons learnt for territorial peace in Colombia

This article considers the experience of the forums for consultation and the follow-up of the peace agreements in Guatemala and draws lessons for territorial peace in Colombia. Based on data from observation, interviews, and documents, it analyses how the consultation forums evolved into an infrastructure for peace, and the role they played in the decentralization of peace implementation. From this experience, It emphasizes the importance of the departmental level as a bridge between the grassroots and decision makers at the central level, and of the participation of traditionally marginalized groups for territorial peace. Additionally, the successful local peacebuilding initiatives that emerged during the war must be considered. It also discusses the role of multisectoral spaces in the peaceful transformation of local conflicts, and the need to maintain a balance between institutionalization and flexibility.