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News > Latin America

Colombian Government: 'We Want to End the War'

  • Colombia's lead government negotiator at peace talks with the with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Humberto de la Calle.

    Colombia's lead government negotiator at peace talks with the with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Humberto de la Calle. | Photo: teleSUR

Published 13 July 2015
Opinion

The announcement provides a breakthrough in peace talks that had been threatened by a recent increase in hostilities.

Colombia's lead government negotiator at peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) clarified a historic announcement Sunday regarding the de-escalation of the conflict, saying the purpose of the agreement is to build trust toward a bilateral cease-fire.

“"On progress made in Havana, if we can keep to (the de-escalation), this would show that the agreement is close and would be able to streamline the thematic aspects," Humberto de la Calle said Monday.

The official's statements come a day after President Juan Manuel Santos pledged to ‘de-escalate’ military action against the guerrillas if the rebels uphold their unilateral ceasefire.

RELATED: The Colombian Peace Process Explained

The announcement provides a breakthrough in a peace process that has been going on for more than two years in Havana, Cuba. The negotiations had been in question recently, after an increase in hostilities from both sides led the FARC to call off the unilateral cease-fire they had declared in December.

While De la Calle and Santos insisted the de-escalation was not the same as a bilateral cease-fire, Colombian Senator Ivan Cepeda told teleSUR the agreement adheres to the same framework as a truce.

“"It seems that the government and the insurgency will gradually move in that direction, before signing the (final) agreement, because although the state did not agree to (a bilateral cease-fire), it has already entered into that logic," Cepeda said.

RELATED: FARC and Colombian Government Agree to Ease Hostilities

Pope Francis, who recently concluded a Latin America tour, called for the peace process in Colombia to go ahead and offered the Vatican's assistance if it might help.

The Santos government and the left-wing rebels have been engaged in peace talks in Cuba with the aim of ending the five-decades-old conflict, which has claimed the lives of over 220,000 people and displaced millions in Colombia.

With the FARC's unilateral ceasefire starting July 20, both sides have also agreed to alter the structure of the talks in order to accelerate the process, given only partial agreements have been reached so far on three of the five agenda points.

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