A former head of the ELN warned FARC leader “Timochenko” on Thursday that negotiations are the only way to peace in Colombia.
Former guerrilla Francisco Galan sent a strong message to Timochenko stating there is “no other way out of the violence than a political and peaceful solution,” at the end of a Senate hearing on the legal framework for peace.
He warned that the deaths of former FARC commanders “Alfonso Cano,” “Mono Jojoy,” and “Raul Reyes” should give a message to the guerrilla organization to take immediate responsibility and lay down their arms in order to strengthen democracy.
“There is no other way out,” was a phrase frequently quoted by the ex-guerrilla throughout the hearing.
Galan also said that Congress should give Timochenko a decent offer. “I believe that [he] should be given a favorable political framework,” he said, in an effort to “overcome this situation of violence.”
Earlier this week, President Juan Manuel Santos announced that he is ready to open the door to peace saying, “I have the key to peace in my pocket, but I think that ultimately it must be a political solution.”
The head of state said “any Colombian president would dream of leaving this country in peace after 50 years of war. With regards to negotiations with the FARC, he insisted, “If there is good faith on their part, there will be good faith on mine.”