U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday urged Colombia rebel group FARC to make peace with the government before addressing issues such as immigration and drug trafficking.
Speaking to Colombian radio station La W Obama said “My hope is that you can create a peaceful Colombia and the FARC to disarm and recognize that, even if they disagree with the government, they must participate in a political process instead of using violence.”
The U.S. president expressed his support of the fight against drugs, stating that drug trafficking is not a unique problem to Colombia and recognized that much of the problem rests on the shoulders of the U.S. as it creates much of the demand.
Obama said he would tackle the issue by trying to quell U.S. demand by educating young people on the dangers of drugs, as well as providing resources for the war against drugs while calling on the countries of the region to “come together to confront drug trafficking.”
Speaking on immigration and the Latino population in the U.S., Obama also declared himself as the clear choice for the 12 million Latinos eligible to vote in the U.S. while highlighting his commitment towards preventing the deportation of young immigrants. Still, he could not resist a stab at presidential candicate opponent Mitt Romney stating that the Republican “does not believe in immigration reform”.
