Former president Alvaro Uribe on Sunday strongly criticized preliminary peace agreements with rebel group FARC, stating “the rule of law” has “capitulated” to Colombia’s largest armed rebel group.
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Through a statement released on twitter, now-senator Uribe spoke for the first time on the draft agreements that were released last week.
MORE: Colombia Government, FARC Release Preliminary Peace Deals
The former president started by stating that the texts leave the impression “that it is the launch of a political platform for terrorists to justify their [FARC] crimes, leaving the government unable to do its tasks waiting for the acceptance of terrorism.”
Textos de Cuba. El Estado de Derecho claudica ante el terrorismo La bancada parlamentaria del Centro Democráti… http://t.co/LrOrjzum6G
— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) September 29, 2014
Uribe then went on to talk about a closed agreement on illicit drugs, claiming that the negotiators “leave all doors open to keep illicit crops.”
In the agreement, the government has committed to renounce prosecuting small cultivators for a two-year period to allow voluntary substitution. Communities which create drug substitution agreements with the government will decide the length necessary to fulfill the commitments.
If coca and marijuana growers fail to substitute their illicit crops within the two-year span, the government will eradicate the illicit crops.
Furthermore, the former president claimed that, according to the draft agreements, the FARC will not have to surrender any of their assets obtained during the conflict. Negotiators in Havana have yet to touch on the subject of asset forfeiture, as this is a part of the current point on the agenda, victims.
The hard-line senator ended his statement by stating that the agreements on agricultural reforms are “identical” to those made by the socialist government of Cuba and Venezuela.
The agreements were released by government and FARC negotiators, as a measure of transparency and to tackle “rumors” by opponents of the negotiation “that seek to create distrust”, according the government’s head negotiator.
MORE: Partial Colombia Peace Deals Released To Avert ‘Opposition Rumors’
The ongoing peace talks began in 2012. If successful, they will end 50 years of violence between rebels and state.