Some politicians have claimed that the trip taken on Sunday by six Colombian congressmen to meet with the peace negotiators for the government and country’s largest guerrilla group FARC is duplicitous, unprofessional, and not in step with the framework for peace.
Barreras justified the members’ presence in Havana by claiming that they were there to speed up the pace of talks and to communicate the concerns of Colombians.
“Peace is desirable and is yearned for by all Colombians. While acts of peace are essential, goodwill is not enough,” said the Senate President.
The talks between the government and the country’s largest left-wing insurgency have been criticized for their sluggish pace, though both sides have said that there has been progress and an eagerness to reach an accord. If successful, the talks would bring an end to the longest-standing civil war on the continent.