Presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos said in an interview on television channel Teleantioquia, that under his leadership, the door to a peace dialogue with the FARC would be open, but with conditions.
“The door to a dialogue has not been closed, but with very specific conditions: without deceptions, in good faith, transparency and with true willingness for peace,” said Santos, who was known for his hard line stance against the FARC during his time as President Alvaro Uribe’s defense minister.
In the interview, Santos reminded the Colombian public that under former President Andres Pastrana, he had aided in the creation of a demilitarized zone for the FARC, as part of a peace negotiation process, which later failed.
Santos’ remarks follow his previous insinuations during the campaign that other candidates would be tempted to return to “the dark nightmare” of the failed peace talks and the immense gain of territory it meant for the FARC.
Santos is the front-runner in Colombia’s presidential elections, which are scheduled for May this year.