Return Migration in Post-Conflict Colombia: Unpacking Government and Media Discourses

In Colombia, a civil conflict enduring for six decades promised to come to an end in 2016 when the Colombian government and guerrilla party FARC for the first time in the history of the conflict agreed to negotiate peace. A series of events ensued that promised a long yearned for condition of peace for Colombia; this included the adoption of a peace agreement and a plebiscite as democratic tool allowing Colombian citizens to choose to support or oppose the agreement. This period of political change brought with it concerns about the involvement of Colombians residing abroad in the peacebuilding process. Focusing on the publications of the Colombian government and national media during this period of political change, this research captured the first steps in the peacebuilding process, focusing particularly on the return of nationals living in Ecuador to Colombia. Bringing together theories on migration, peacebuilding and media representation, the case study of Colombia allowed for an overview of the end of a long-enduring conflict that had generated large-scale forced displacement outside and within the Colombian territory. The end of the conflict through the peace agreement announced the inclusion of emigrants in the peacebuilding process, particularly through the return of those victims that had left the country due to the conflict. However, restoring the bond between a sending country and its population abroad implies systematic efforts to change beliefs related to war that are embedded in the society. Therefore, the communication of the Colombian government and national media with nationals residing abroad was explored by means of a discourse analysis focused on the comprehension of intentions, interpretations and choices of the dialogues between these parties and Colombian civilians that are victims to the conflict. The findings showed that the discourses of both government and media sources fluctuated according to three specific events: the signing of the peace agreement, the plebiscite following the peace agreement, and the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. As a result, expected and unexpected controversies altered the storyline of the peace process.