Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba announced Wednesday that she has arrived in Havana, Cuba, for talks with the former leader Fidel Castro.
“I have already arrived in Cuba, I am studying and reading up a lot for my meeting with Comandante Fidel Castro,” the Liberal Party politician posted on her Twitter page.
On Monday, the controversial Colombian politician said that she had spoken to the former Cuban leader on the telephone “about the situation in Colombia.”
Cordoba, who is president of the Colombian Congress’ Peace Commission, said she was preparing a peace proposal involving guerrilla groups to present to South American regional body UNASUR.
However, after Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera declared that the government would not recognize peace talks with the guerrilla which have not been authorized through official channels, Cordoba said that she had no intention of entering negotiations which could affect the government’s efforts to settle the conflict
Despite the government’s rejection of her plans, Cordoba said Monday afternoon that she would meet with Colombians for Peace, an organization she heads, to develop a series of proposals for dialogue with the guerrilla, which would be submitted to the new Santos administration for consideration.
Cordoba’s meeting with Castro is the latest in a series of talks she has held to promote her peace initiative. Recently she has met with Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro.
In the past, Cordoba has been involved in several negotiations for the release of FARC-held hostages and campaigned in Europe to win support for a prisoner swap of FARC captives for incarcerated guerrillas.
The “Colombian for peace” leader was forced to cut her European tour short and return to Colombia to face accusations of “FARC-politics.” Colombian Supreme Court President Jaime Arrubla said recently the charges lack conclusive evidence.
Cordoba has denied the accusations on many occasions, saying that she is being prosecuted for a “crime of opinion,” and that the charges are “persecution,” which “come from the presidency.”
