Colombian congressman Ivan Cepeda on Wednesday called upon other leftist leaders to consolidate a “powerful left” in preparation for an eventual peace agreement with rebel group FARC.
Cepeda confirmed on Twitter that he sent a letter to members of the Polo Democratico party, the leader of the Marcha Patriotica and the Progressives movement of Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro, asking them to integrate and form a “powerful” alliance to allow them to deal with “the political transition towards peace and democracy”, which he believes will take place between 2014-18, if negotiators in Havana reach an agreement.
1. Dirigí carta llamando a cinco líderes de la izquierda colombiana a que se construya una gran alianza para la Paz y la Democracia.
— Iván Cepeda Castro (@IvanCepedaCast) June 12, 2013
The recipients were named by Colombia media as Clara Lopez and Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo of the Polo Democratic, former Senator Piedad Cordoba of the Marcha Patriotica, Carlos Lozano of the Communist Party and Antonio Navarro Wolf from the Progressives.
Newspaper El Espectador reported that the congressman urged the politicians “to put differences aside, without sacrificing their respective political identities and personal and collective legacies, because the historical challenge to bring the armed conflict to an end will always be more important.”
According to Cuban state news agency Prensa Latina, Cepeda told the politicians that the responsibility to ensure a peaceful and democratic future for Colombia lies with the left-wing representatives, because the far right may attempt to sow discord and traditional power circles will want “everything to stay the same.”