Reforms proposed by the Colombian government indicate that the chances of the peace deal in the near future is “distant,” according to a member of the FARC’s peace delegation in Havana.
In a blog post on the website of the FARC’s peace delegation, negotiator “Ruben Zamora” said that none of the reforms currently being processed by Congress are in line with the preliminary peace agreements reached over the last two years of negotiations.
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This, Zamora claimed, shows that “the expansion of democracy for now has been postponed” and the “national government resists removing the causes of the armed uprising,” thus justifying the continuation of the armed, social, and political struggle of the FARC.
For these reasons, Zamora questioned just how close and inevitable a final peace agreement with the government is, just days after chief government negotiator Humberto de la Calle said the peace process was “irreversible.”
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According to the Colombian website Vanguardia, this is the first time that the FARC has commented on government reforms intended to facilitate peace.
Additionally, the site said that the rebel group’s position aligned with the consensus of Colombian political scientists and analysts who think that fundamental reforms required for peace, which could take months or years to implement, are overdue.
Zamora’s blog post also criticized the government for creating “false expectations” of peace while “reactionary policies” are still being implemented that exacerbate violence, poverty, and social inequality.
This is not the first time the FARC have accused the government of creating false expectations.
The FARC’s chief negotiator, Ivan Marquez made similar statements in early September:
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Peace talks between the FARC guerrilla group and the Colombian government have been going on for two years.
Of the six points laid out in the initial framework for the talks, three preliminary agreements have already been signed.
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None of deals will come into affect until a final agreement has been reached.
Peace talks with the FARC have been ongoing since 2012 while talks with ELN are pending.
The government and the FARC are currently on break from discussing the reparation of victims. A new round will begin on October 20.
Sources
- ¿Cerca de la Paz? (FARC-EP)
- Reformas en el Congreso, cuestionadas por las Farc (Vanguardia)