Transitional Justice and Eco-Juridical Turn: Some Considerations Regarding the Relations Between Nature and Conflict in the Colombian Truth Commission Report

Abstract

This paper examines the implications of recognizing harm against nature in the context of transitional justice, focusing on the Final Report of the Truth Commission established under the “Peace Agreement between the Colombian State and the FARC-EP”, specifically from an ecological perspective. The Commission's approach provides elements for advancing the consolidation of an eco-legal turn in transitional justice, allowing for the challenge of some of the anthropocentric tendencies that have traditionally characterized it. The report recognizes the decisive role that non-human nature played in the development of the armed conflict, reclaiming its victim status, and highlights the importance of repairing the damaged socio-ecosystemic ties as a necessary condition for achieving a stable peace. The Colombian case demonstrates the need to consider the complex human-nonhuman relationships in the explanation and resolution of social conflicts, as well as in the construction of a truly equitable society. Although the ecocentric approach of the Report represents a significant advancement in the field of transitional justice, the article suggests that the Truth Commission fails to draw all the consequences of its own approach from the perspective of environmental restorative justice.