Havana, Jan 21 -The peace talks between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People”s Army (FARC-EP) and the government of that country are entering their second day of recess after the resumption of talks on January 14.
The negotiation table at Havana’s Conference Center continues focused on the first item on the agenda referring to rural development, which is considered the main cause of the armed conflict in Colombia.
The other issues agreed ti in the General Agreement to guide the talks are the guarantees for political participation, the end of armed conflict, the solution to the problem of illegal drugs, the rights of victims, and verification mechanisms for the agreements signed at the negotiation table.
The FARC-EP unilateral 60 day ceasefire ended yesterday. It was announced in Havana at the beginning of talks on November 19.
In this sense, Ivan Marquez, team leader for the FARC-EP in the peace talks, urged the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to join in a bilateral ceasefire, in order to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for peace talks.
Marquez stated that if the government does not consider the initiative relevant, it could then agree to a treaty to establish norms for the war in order to avoid greater suffering for the population.
The government has been favorably disposed so far to the establishment of peace, but states that a ceasefire should be the result of possible agreements reached at the talks in Havana.
