Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office suspended the arrest warrants for three dissident FARC guerrillas who have been appointed to negotiate peace with the government.
The three guerrilla are leaders of the “Central Command,” a.k.a. the “Southeastern Bloc,” one of the three major FARC dissident organizations that have said they are potentially willing to lay down arms.
President Gustavo Petro last week ordered the security forces to suspend attacks against the guerrilla group after they agreed to end attacks against civilians and the security forces.
While trying to uphold the six-month bilateral ceasefire, the three guerrilla representatives will negotiate laying down their weapons and take part in Petro’s “Total Peace” plan.
This peace policy seeks a peace deal between the government and guerrilla group ELN, and the dismantling of groups formed by dissidents of peace processes with the FARC and paramilitary organization AUC.
Colombia’s congress gives green light to Petro’s “Total Peace” policy
Southeastern Bloc and CCO join forces
The delegates of FARC dissident leader “Ivan Mordisco” will negotiate on behalf of the Southeastern Bloc and their allies, the Western Coordinating Command (CCO).
Central Command representatives
- Willinton Henao, a.k.a. “Olmedo”
- Carlos Eduardo Garcia, a.k.a. “Andrei”
- Sandra Milena Niño
The suspension of the arrest warrants is meant to facilitate “exploratory talks” about possible formal negotiations about the demobilization and disarmament of the FARC dissidents.
The Southeastern Bloc split from the FARC in 2016 in dissent of a peace deal of their former commanders and the government of former President Juan Manuel Santos.
The majority of CCO guerrillas rearmed after 2016 due to failures to implement the peace deal and attacks on former FARC members that have killed at least 348 reintegrating former guerrillas during the peace process.
Violence against Colombia’s social leaders persists despite peace initiatives
The other groups
Petro resumed peace talks with the ELN that had been suspended by former President Ivan Duque almost immediately after taking office last year.
Peace Commissioner Danilo Rueda has additionally agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with paramilitary organization AGC, drug trafficking organization “Los Pachenca,” and the dissident group formed by the FARC’s former political chief “Ivan Marquez.”
According to Indepaz, more than 20 illegal armed groups have said they also want “Total Peace,” which would imply the dismantling of the illegal armed groups and mafia organizations that are held responsible for virtually all of the armed conflict and violent crime in Colombia.
The demobilization of these groups would also make it easier for the government to implement the peace deal made with the FARC, which has been violently resisted, particularly in rural regions.
