Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday “concrete agreements” on agrarian reform could be reached in the coming days at the ongoing peace talks between the government and the country’s largest rebel group FARC.
A written agreement on comprehensive agrarian reform, the first and perhaps most controversial point on the agenda, was supposed to have been signed in early April. However, an agreement on the subject has been delayed on two occasions, with the warring parties citing differences impeding an agreement.
Santos said he had spoken to the members of the government delegation, giving them instructions to reach concrete agreements, while encouraging them to speed up the rhythm of the talks.
The president also criticized the rebels for holding near-daily press conferences, thus “thinking they will in this way succeed in gaining support.”
On Monday, Colombia’s High Commissioner for Peace, Sergio Jaramillo, said “the Colombian government [was] not interested in dialoguing with the FARC in Havana forever,” stressing the importance of reaching a final peace accord before the end of 2013.
The rebels, on the other hand, have frequently criticized any attempt at putting a time limit on the peace talks, claiming they should not be subject to electoral concerns.
Sources
- ‘Esperamos que en esta ronda haya acuerdo en lo agrario’: Santos (El Tiempo)
- “No queremos dialogar con las Farc más allá de este año” (El Universal)