Havana, February 9 (RHC-teleSUR) -- The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) stated over the weekend that it is determined to end the armed conflict and become a political movement.
This affirmation was made by FARC peace delegation member Jesus Santrich and was part of a series of proposals the FARC is introducing in the latest round of negotiations.
Peace talks between the FARC and the government of Colombia resumed earlier this month, with the two parties discussing the rights of victims of the conflict. This is the fourth of five agenda items being discussed, with parties having already reached an agreement on three other items. Talks have been ongoing since November 2012.
The FARC is proposing a series of measures that it feels necessary in order to guarantee that a violent armed conflict will not be repeated in the country. Among them are a number of measures to be acted upon immediately by the Colombian government, such as the implementation of a bilateral cease-fire and the suspension of mining and energy projects that run the risk of forcibly displacing people.
The rebel group is also calling for the demilitarization of Colombian society and a deep reform of the armed forces of the country.
The FARC called for measures that would guarantee the right to political mobilization and social protest. In a previous attempt to end the armed conflict, thousands of activists from the Patriotic Union, a political party affiliated with the FARC, were assassinated by paramilitary groups.
In order to avoid a repetition of those political murders, the FARC called for the creation of a “Permanent Constitutional Commission” that would be tasked with defending human rights and protecting social activists.
These measures would be in addition to those agreed upon by the parties as they related to political participation, the second agenda item. As part of that agreement, the Colombian government agreed to create an “Integrated Security System for the Exercise of Politics” that would serve to protect political activists.
