Colombia's peace process makes significant headway.
| Autor | Gaudin, Andres |
After a half century of setbacks, so serious that they were manifested in a war that has taken a toll of hundreds of thousands of persons dead, exiled, or displaced, the government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the guerrillas of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) reached an initial agreement on the central issue of the conflict--which in 1964 led to the birth of the rebel organization: land ownership and use (NotiSur, Oct. 12, 2012, and March 15, 2013). On May 26, when the two sides, meeting for talks in Havana, Cuba, acknowledged signing the far-reaching agreement, the entire political spectrum, except the far right, applauded.
Days later, on June 18, the government and the guerrillas resumed talks to work on the second point on the preset agenda: integration of the guerrillas into legal life and the guarantees they will receive, once demobilized, to participate in political activity.
The FARC insisted on calling for a constituent assembly to "reform the state" and proposed postponing the next presidential elections for a year so that the campaign would "not affect the excellent climate in which these conversations are developing and through which we are trying to begin to create a new egalitarian and democratic country."
The government rejected both proposals outright, but the dialogue continued, "a good sign that indicates that they are serious," said opposition Deputy Ivan Cepeda of the Polo Democatico Alternativo (PDA).
In the media, Santos sent other signals, this time contradictory. First, he made a clearly sympathetic gesture to Henrique Capriles, leader of the Venezuelan right, whom he received in Bogota during one of the tensest moments in the neighboring country. Leading the opposition, Capriles refused to recognize the democratic elections won by President Nicolas Maduro. provoking serious acts of violence that left at least eight people dead and encouraged a destabilization campaign aimed at ousting the new constitutional government in Caracas (NotiSur, May 3, 2013). Today more than ever, better relations with Venezuela are vital for Colombia because Venezuela, along with Chile, Cuba, and Norway, is accompanying and guaranteeing the dialogue in Havana (NotiSur, April 26, 2013).
Santos then announced his desire to have the country join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Finally, Santos admitted, without even a verbal protest, that the US Pentagon was interfering in Colombia's internal...
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