Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Tuesday ruled out engaging in a peace dialogue with the FARC and called on the armed forces to increase their efforts to combat the guerrilla group.
In a speech to media assembled at the Jose Maria Cordoba military academy outside Medellin, Santos demanded “military results every day, on different fronts” because “that is how we are going to finally achieve peace.”
“We have not completely closed the key to dialogue, nor have we thrown the key out to sea, but until we see clear, irrefutable proof that the conditions we have given are adhered to, there is no possibility for dialogue,” Santos said.
The Colombian leader added that he will not name a new high commissioner for peace, a position occupied by Frank Pearl in the administration of former President Alvaro Uribe “because these are not the right circumstances to name one.”
Santos also revealed details on his meeting in Santa Marta last Tuesday with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in which the two heads of state agreed to work towards normalizing fractured bilateral relations. Santos told press that he had asked his Venezuelan counterpart to refrain from negative comments about his predecessor and mentor Uribe, with whom Chavez has had a tumultuous relationship.
Lastly, Santos announced that bills to create the portfolios of the environment, housing, health and justice as ministries in their own right will be put before Congress Tuesday.
On Friday the Santos administration rejected all offers by third parties to mediate between the government and guerrilla groups such as the FARC or ELN.
