FARC dissidence says it wants peace, and prepares for its big rally
Sympathizers and members of the dissident FARC gathered Saturday in the south of the country on the eve of an unprecedented meeting to affirm their desire to negotiate peace with the government.
FARC dissident fighters (top) meet with local communities in San Vicente del Caguán, Colombia, April 15, 2023.
AFP
“We believe that it is possible to build peace, with social justice and from the territories”, declared to the press one of the commanders of this dissidence, Andrey Avendano, leader of the “Front33”. “The Colombian people can have full confidence in the fact that our commitment to peace (…) is sincere and real”, underlined this military official.
He was speaking, alongside several other commanders, on behalf of the “Central Staff of the FARC” (EMC-FARC), the main dissidence of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which had refused to sign the historic 2016 peace agreement between the government and the Marxist guerrillas.
These military leaders have been meeting since the beginning of April in this historic stronghold of the Marxist movement, the Amazonian foothills of the Caqueta region – where an AFP team was invited this weekend – to define their strategy in their future discussions of peace with the government.
On the initiative of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, elected in the summer of 2022, a six-month bilateral ceasefire has been agreed with the main factions of the FARC dissent since January 1, as well as with d other armed groups.
Open to negotiations
In the middle of last week, the government announced that the peace process with the EMC-FARC was “consolidating”. The EMC-FARC is organizing a large rally for its part this Sunday, a meeting with the “communities” and the “peasant guards” sympathizers of these regions under rebel control below the Andes cordillera.
“The communities invited us to clarify the ongoing (peace) process with the government,” assured Commander Andrey. “After consulting our commanders over the past few days, all our units have expressed their desire for peace in the interest of the people. Tomorrow, we will make a political declaration with the conclusions of our meeting,” he said, promising on this occasion the announcement of a date for the start of negotiations with the government.
“We proposed that the installation of the negotiating table be done in Norway. But for the moment there is nothing concrete, it is a proposal on our part, ”he added.
AFP
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