Petro suspends truce with main FARC dissidence after murder of indigenous minors

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petrosuspended this Monday the truce with the so-called Central General Staff, the main group of guerrilla dissidents FARCin four of the most troubled regions of the country after the murder of four indigenous minors by the rebels.

“It is reported that the bilateral cessation that currently existed with this armed group in the departments of Meta, Caquetá, Guaviare and Putumayo all offensive operations are suspended and reactivated”the president wrote in a statement on Twitter.

Although the ceasefire will continue in other territories, these four regions in the south of the country constitute a bastion of the guerrillaswhere it is presumed that their leaders live and They produce tons of cocaine.

The minors from the Murui community had been forcibly recruited by the rebels who deviated from the peace pact that disarmed in 2017 the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)the once most powerful guerrilla in America.

This weekend the authorities reported that they were killed on the border between the departments of caqueta and Amazon by members of the Carolina Ramírez front, which belongs to the Central Staff of the FARCthe most powerful dissident group.

Was “an atrocious fact that questions the will to build a country in peace. There is no justification for this kind of crime.”Petro said.

In 2021, the independent study center Indepaz calculated that the EMC it had about 1,700 fighters.

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“Has no sense”

Lead by ivan bitethe Central General Staff is part of the illegal armed groups with which Petro wants to negotiate and agree on disarmament within the so-called policy of “Complete Peace”.

In April, that rebel faction said it was ready to start talks in May, but the establishment of the table never materialized. According to Petrothe intention of dialogue is maintained and the guerrillas will soon make official the names of their negotiators.

On December 31, Petro declared a bilateral ceasefire with this group of dissidents and four other main armed structures operating in Colombia.

However, there are already three truces that have fallen: with the guerrillas of National Liberation Army (ELN)which refused to cease hostilities despite having peace talks with the government since November, and with the cartel gulf clanwhich attacked the security forces and the civilian population amid protests by illegal gold miners.

“If the ceasefire is not effective in certain territories to protect the life and integrity of the populationthere is no point in persisting in it”Petro said.

On Twitter the governor of Meta, Juan Guillermo ZuluagaI welcome the decision: “Patience was going to run out. The suspension of the ceasefire with the dissidents is not only for the vile murder of 4 children, but also for the kidnappings, extortions and other criminal actions that never stopped”.

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“The dead will multiply”

In a statement sent to journalists, the Central Staff He harshly criticized the government, without mentioning the murder of indigenous minors.

“The unilateral rupture will unleash the war and the dead, wounded and prisoners will multiply”says the text.

“From our perspective, this has been the least serious government to start talks, to the point that the mechanisms have not even been installed” ceasefire verification, added the rebels, who asked the president to draw up a peace policy “without improvisations, without pressure” and without “breaches”.

The peace and security strategy of Petro, the first leftist to govern Colombiais increasingly criticized by the opposition, which questions the ability of the Military Forces and the president not to give in before the pressure of illegal groups.

“The first person responsible for the escalation of violence is Petrowhich under the deceit of total peace, left Colombia in the hands of terrorists”opined the right-wing senator Maria Fernanda Cabal.

Without the ceasefire with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the THE N and the gulf clanPetro only has truces ahead with the Second Marquetaliaanother faction of dissidents led by the former number two of the FARC Iván Márquez, and the Conqueror Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevadaa paramilitary group from Santa Marta (north).

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.