Colombian President Gustavo Petro meets with leaders of the ex-guerrilla organization FARC in Casa de Nariño, March 22, 2023. Photo: Twitter/@infopresidencia.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, met with former leaders of the now defunct armed insurgency organization Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) amid complaints about non-fulfillment of the Peace Agreement signed between the FARC and the government of Colombia in 2016. The meeting, which took place in Casa de Nariño, the seat of the Colombian presidency, on Wednesday, March 22, was attended by the president of the Comunes party Rodrigo Londoño, alias Commander Timochenko of FARC; Pastor Alapé, former member of the FARC secretariat and delegate of Comunes party; and Carlos Lozada, former FARC commander. The government delegation was represented by the High Commissioner for Peace Danilo Rueda.
The meeting came about after President Petro called the Peace Agreement with the FARC, signed by former President Juan Manuel Santos in 2016, “incomplete.”
#Agenda | En la mañana de este miércoles el Presidente @PetroGustavo se reunió con @TimoComunes, líder del partido @ComunesCoL en la @Casa_Narino. pic.twitter.com/YDgTls2BlR
— Presidencia Colombia 🇨🇴 (@infopresidencia) March 22, 2023
Upon leaving the meeting, the president of the Comunes party Rodrigo Londoño said that he was satisfied with the meeting with President Petro. “We noticed his receptiveness to the priorities and concerns that we expressed frankly regarding the integral implementation of the Final Peace Agreement,” he said.
Salimos satisfechos de la reunión que acabamos de sostener con el presidente @petrogustavo, notamos su receptividad frente a las prioridades y preocupaciones que expusimos con franqueza sobre a la implementación integral del Acuerdo Final de Paz. https://t.co/vhQdzHUFH9
— Rodrigo Londoño (@TimoComunes) March 22, 2023
“We also agreed that, apart from the implementation of the agreement, it is necessary to guarantee the lives of the signatories,” Londoño stated.
He further reported that a Unified Command Post will be established in the area of Mesetas. However, he added that in other critical areas such as Arauca, Cauca, Antioquia, and others, security points must also be installed for the safety and security of the signatories of the Peace Agreement and other social leaders.
Key points of peace agreement with ELN
Colombian Senator Iván Cepeda presented a report on the progress of the peace agreement with the National Liberation Army (ELN) before the Colombian Congress.
“The new agenda clearly states that the peace process will lead to the end of the armed conflict; and that to that end, a way must be found by which the ELN will renounce not only the use of weapons, but also surrender the weapons themselves,” states point 5 of the report.
Cepeda added that the Colombian government will look for a new method to fulfill “the commitment to the rights of all victims to justice, truth, and comprehensive reparation, as well as to non-repetition and never forgetting.”
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Petro-Santos meeting
President Gustavo Petro and former President Juan Manuel Santos also held a private meeting, where the main topic of discussion was the implementation of the Havana Peace Agreement (with the FARC) and its difficulties.
According to Colombian media, Petro promised to implement the Agreement, with some necessary adjustments.
According to other sources, President Petro explained to Santos that he does not want to modify the basic tenets of the Peace Agreement but would like to add some points with the aim of allocating resources and programs for vulnerable populations affected by violence.
(RedRadioVE) by Milena Bravo
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/KZ
