Rebel group FARC is willing to sit down with former President Alvaro Uribe, one of Colombia’s most vociferous critics of the guerrillas’ peace talks with the government, the group’s chief negotiator Ivan Marquez said Thursday.
In an interview with radio station La FM, Marquez that “to be an enemy of peace on has to be insane. Unless Uribe is insane, but we don’t believe that’s his case. We believe firmly that through talking and reciprocally exposing views, we can come to an understanding and contribute to the construction of hope that today motivates all Colombians to reach peace.”
Uribe has been the most vociferous critic of talks between Marquez and his team and the government delegation led by former Vice-President Humberto de la Calle.
According to the former head of state, the government is condoning crimes committed by the FARC by talking to them and is discrediting the armed forces by putting them at the same table as the FARC. Moreover, the president has stressed his objections to any form of amnesty given to members of the FARC.
The FARC has long criticized Uribe for his “neo-liberal” policies and his administrations’ friendly relationship with the US, the former president’s alleged ties to right-wing paramilitary groups and human rights abuses committed by the armed forces under Uribe’s command.