Colombia to restart peace talks with insurgents ELN
A Colombian guerrilla fighter waves a flag during a parade as the country holds second round of peace talks with the largest guerrilla group, in Bogota, Monday, July 17, 2016. Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos and his defense minister announced Monday that a new round of peace talks would begin in less than a week in the Colombian capital. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos gestures as he talks with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos during a ceremony to pay tribute to victims of the 1980-2000 Colombian conflict in Bogota, Monday, July 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos poses for a photograph during a ceremony to pay tribute to victims of the 1980-2000 Colombian conflict in Bogota, Monday, July 17, 2016. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his defense minister announced Monday that a new round of peace talks would begin in less than a week in the Colombian capital. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Bogota, Colombia – Colombia announced Monday that it will start peace talks with a guerrilla group it says has left its territory and called for talks with the government.
The announcement follows a new round of peace talks to begin in less than a week with the largest guerrilla group, the FARC, whose leader has offered to hand over his weapons to the government. The announcement signaled a breakthrough in a campaign to restore peace to the war-torn Andean nation.
The peace process would be the first since 2001. It would mark Colombia’s return to democratic elections after a decade of conflict that left more than 70,000 people dead and more than 5 million displaced.
“We will talk to them,” President Juan Manuel Santos said in a televised statement at a press briefing. “We have had many dialogue processes, but nothing like this.”
“The negotiation team has met the FARC delegation and has received a commitment to enter into direct negotiations with them,” Santos said.
The head of the peace negotiations, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, flanked by Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzolo and National Security Minister Alejandro Ordonez, announced the new round of talks Monday, a day after the government and FARC reached an agreement on a joint military campaign to help the FARC defeat the armed group in its northern strongholds.
According to Santos, the new
