Colombia’s government and the FARC rebels have resumed peace talks in Havana, Cuba today to discuss the participation of victims in the peace process, according to local media.
The current round of talks will revolve around the details of the role victims of the armed conflict will have at the table and the influence they shall have in the peace process, according to Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper.
Colombia’s government and the country’s largest rebel movement, FARC, have been engaged in peace negotiations since November 2012.
MORE: FARC victims discuss peace talks, watch soccer, at 1st regional forum
Last week, 17 organizations, with the presence of members from the government peace delegation, Sergio Jaramillo and Humberto de la Calle, got together to demand a larger voice in the peace process. According to them, they have not had a large enough voice in the victims’ forums being organized by the National University and the United Nations.
According to El Espectador that cites government sources, of the victims that have attended the victims’ forums in Villavicencio and Barrancabermeja, 80% have been victims of the state or of paramilitaries, not the guerrillas.
The government has made clear the need to make the victim’s the center of the conflict, but they apparently prefer to not divide the victims by victimizer but rather into categories such as gender, ethnicity, age, and region. This way, the focus on the victims will be more specific in the peace process and result in a greater ability to meet their needs with respect to truth, justice and reparation, according to El Espectador.
Sources
- Hora de hablar de víctimas (El Espectador)
- Hoy se reanudan los diálogos de La Habana (Caracol)