Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC on Tuesday expressed their support and optimism of talks held with the government to seek a negotiated end to the country’s nearly half-a-century-long armed conflict.
The peace negotiators of the government and rebels are “on the same wavelength,” said a senior FARC negotiator “Jesus Santrich” at a press conference, a positive indicator to the end of the almost 50 year long conflict in Colombia between FARC guerrillas and authorities.
“Up until now we have had good results. There has been agreement,” Santrich told press.
The peace talks in Havana, Cuba that reconvened on November 20 have seemingly been going well and “at a good pace” over the last week.
Despite the lack of government commentary on the subject, the FARC and Colombian government announced a public forum on agricultural reform to take place in December, one of five themes that includes drug trafficking and victim compensation to be discussed during the negotiations.
The agreement between the FARC and government to a basic negotiation framework, in addition to the agricultural reform forum signifies a feat in itself to finding middle ground between the warring left-wing rebels and the Colombian government, reported the Washington Post.
Santrich also called on Ecuador to collaborate with the Red Cross to repatriate FARC bodies killed in cross-border combat and again asked for U.S. President Obama to look favorably on the FARC’s petition to release ex-FARC guerrilla Simon Trinidad, who is currently imprisoned in the States.
The Havana negotiations are scheduled to continue every day through Thursday.
