FARC Sees Promise in Colombia Armistice Proposal
The FARC guerrilla group on Wednesday praised a proposal that calls for declaring an armistice before a peace agreement is reached in Colombia's near half-century-old conflict.
The proposal by conservative politician Alvaro Leyva came as negotiators for the rebels and the government of President Juan Manuel Santos began another round of peace talks in Havana, their 16th.
Andres Paris, a member of the FARC negotiating team, urged the government to allow Leyva to expand on his proposals at the talks, calling it an "interesting initiative."
Paris told reporters the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC as the Marxist-inspired rebel group is known, is "very interested" in learning more about Leyva's ideas, saying "they could play an important role at this juncture."
"This proposal is a hope and a light, but obviously we hope to hear more about it and that the government delegation listens to it," he said.
Leyva is a former minister and lawmaker who has served in the past as a peace negotiator.
On Monday, he sent the Santos government six proposals, including a "supervised armistice" as a way of giving the Havana talks a boost.
Another proposal called for strategies and logistics for demining the country, according to media reports.
The latest peace talks have been underway for nearly a year, with little sign of movement. Four previous attempts to negotiate an end to Latin America's longest armed conflict failed.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues in parts of Colombia.
Santos has so far rejected a cease-fire before a peace agreement is reached, saying the rebels have used past truces to regroup.
The FARC observed a unilateral ceasefire for two months after the talks began in November 2012, but lifted it after the government failed to follow suit.
After 15 rounds of talks, the sides have reached consensus on only one point -- land reform issues -- on the five-point agenda.
Negotiators are currently on the second agenda item -- political participation by the FARC.
The FARC has waged an insurgency against the state since its founding in 1964.
Source: Agence France Presse
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