Colombia govt, FARC negotiators find common ground on land reform

Both the government and Colombia’s largest rebel group, the FARC, on Friday 

The government’s chief negotiator Humberto de la Calle, said that the talks had arrived “at a key moment.”

“We are at a key moment in the dialogues, where we requiere results…and agreements in the agrarian theme so [we can] continue with other points on the agenda,” De la Calle said. The former vice president also stated that the government was aiming for a “better use of the land.”

For its part, the FARC said that negotiations were “advancing like never before.”

MORE: Santos grants former FARC land to 342 families

Santos on Sunday rejected Timochenko’s comments saying that “if the peace talks stopped producing results, they would be ended.” The president did say, however, that there had been “positive achievements” during this round of negotations, a sentiment shared by chief FARC negotiator “Ivan Marquez,” who said they had “advanced” but did echo Timochenko’s sentiment that the guerrillas had not stolen land.

MORE: Colombia govt will end peace talks if dialogue stops producing results: Santos

“They disfigure reality…in a badly intentioned and perverse form, they try to divert [attention] from the causes and from who is truly responsible for the robbery of close to 8 million hectares (19.7 million acres),” said the rebel negotiatior.

MORE: Colombia govt lying about stolen land: FARC

The warring parts will reunite on March 11 to further discuss the themes of “rural development” and “the use of land.”

Sources

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