Colombia’s Vice President-elect Angelino Garzon said Saturday that the incoming administration of President-elect Juan Manuel Santos is disposed to open doors to a dialogue with the FARC, as long as the guerrilla group agrees to certain conditions.
Garzon said there was an urgent need for dialogue, in response to comments by FARC leader Alfonso Cano that the doors should not be closed in such a possibility.
The vice president-elect said that the FARC must “set free all the kidnapped people without conditions, cease the practice of kidnapping, terrorism and land mines,” as well as stop the practice of forced recruitment of civilians, before the first steps along the path to reconciliation could be taken.
“If they agree to these conditions, they can be certain that Juan Manuel Santos will generously build a peace accord, as well as processes of reconciliation and forgiveness,” Garzon said.
Outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s reaction was less encouraging. He he didn’t understand how the FARC could “ask for peace in order produce news headlines” while continuing to ambush and murder members of the Colombian armed forces.
In footage broadcast by news network Al Jazeera, Alfonso Cano proposed a dialogue with Santos’ incoming administration on five main issues: the agreement that grants the U.S. access to seven Colombian military bases, human rights, land rights, the political regime and the economic model.
