- Title: "Colombia takes no threats". Duque slams rebel leader's new call to arms
- Date: 29th August 2019
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (AUGUST 29, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MEMBERS OF FARC POLITICAL PARTY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF THE FARC POLITICAL PARTY, RODRIGO LONDONO, SAYING: "The signatories of the speech broke ranks publicly with our party, resulting in their resignations and accepting publicly the consequences of their actions." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF THE FARC POLITICAL PARTY, RODRIGO LONDONO, SAYING: "We have learnt from Jacobo, from Marulanda (FARC founders) to comply with what has been agreed to, to follow through with a commitment. Unfortunately, they accompanied us on the journey and now they have taken this attitude. With all sincerity, we are ashamed. I apologise to the people of Colombia, to the international community, to countries like Cuba and Norway that have worked so hard to support this process. But there is also optimism, we are the vast majority, we are the best in this process." NEWS CONFERENCE WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE SPECIAL JURISDICTION FOR PEACE (JEP) JEP LOGO JEP OFFICIALS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE SPECIAL JURISDICTION FOR PEACE (JEP), PATRICIA LINARES, SAYING: "Any individual that has been subject to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and who is now in this situation, who have re-armed, will not be subject to the system (under the peace deal) as stated in the norms (of the agreement). The responsibility of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, which is a judicial body, is to administer justice in strict compliance with the constitution and the law." MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE SPECIAL JURISDICTION FOR PEACE (JEP), PATRICIA LINARES, SAYING: "It's a wrong decision by this group of people who have betrayed their commitments to peace, to Colombia, to the world. This (call to arms) is not enough to shake the will of all Colombians." OFFICIALS AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE OFFICIALS LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE BOGOTA SKYLINE CARS ON ROAD BUILDINGS, MOUNTAINS IN BOGOTA
- Embargoed: 12th September 2019 21:08
- Keywords: President Ivan Duque Bogota Colombia FARC rebels Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Ivan Marquez Jesus Santrich
- Location: UNIDENTIFIED JUNGLE AREA + BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: UNIDENTIFIED JUNGLE AREA + BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
- Reuters ID: LVA005AU9W30N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombian President Ivan Duque on Thursday (August 29) lambasted a new call to arms by former rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), saying the country "takes no threats".
In a video posted overnight, rebels announced that they will embark on a new offensive, threatening to resume five decades of armed conflict against the government.
Two former commanders from the group, known by their aliases Ivan Marquez and Jesus Santrich, appear in the 32-minute YouTube announcement, which Marquez said was filmed in Colombia's Amazon jungle.
A peace accord signed by FARC and the Colombian government three years ago has come under pressure on various fronts, including the murder of hundreds of former rebels and human rights activists, delays in funding for economic efforts by former combatants, and deep political polarization.
In his response, Colombian President Ivan Duque announced a reward of 3 billion pesos (about $863,000) would be given for information leading to the capture of each of the people who appear in the video.
Marquez, one of the negotiators of the 2016 agreement, went missing last year after his nephew was arrested and taken to the United States to cooperate with investigations into drug trafficking.
The dissidents' objective is the installation of a government that will support peace, Marquez said. It will fight corruption and fracking and demand payments from those participating in illegal economies and from multinational companies, he said.
Security sources said the force commanded by Marquez could number 2,200 fighters.
Duque was elected on a platform to change parts of the deal, but has failed to get congressional or judicial support to do so. He has repeatedly said former guerrillas with a true desire to disarm will be supported.
Many active rebels are believed to base themselves in Venezuela. Last month, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said both Marquez and Santrich were welcome.
Former FARC commander Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, distanced himself from Marquez and the former rebels.
Londono is now a leader within the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force, the FARC political party born out of the peace accord. In a statement, the party reiterated its rejection of the dissidents.
The United Nations Verification Mission also rejected the new call to arms, as did the special tribunal created under the deal to prosecute war crimes.
The dissident group will seek to coordinate with fellow leftist rebels, the National Liberation Army (ELN), Marquez said, and will not use kidnapping and ransom as a source of financing.
Some 13,000 FARC members, including 7,000 combatants, demobilised under the accord, many joining reintegration efforts or returning home to their families. Others remained armed or formed new units, continuing lucrative drug trafficking, illegal mining activities or attacks on the military.
More than 260,000 people have been killed and millions displaced during Colombia's conflict between the government, rebel groups, crime gangs and right-wing paramilitaries.
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