COLOMBIA-SANTOS/FARC Colombia's Santos says he's willing to meet FARC rebel leader personally

Record ID: 144145

  • Title: COLOMBIA-SANTOS/FARC Colombia's Santos says he's willing to meet FARC rebel leader personally
  • Date: 14th August 2015
  • Summary: SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUAN, COLOMBIA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FARC MEMBERS DURING REBEL EVENT
  • Embargoed: 29th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cuba
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA25H6NL4RRRB7YG8GANCWCWI79
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santo said on Friday (August 13) that he would be willing to meet with the head of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebel group to advance tense peace talks aimed at ending more than 50 years of conflict.
    Since starting talks in November 2012, government and rebel negotiators have reached partial accords on three of five agenda points: land reform, the political future of the FARC and an end to the illegal drugs trade. Still under discussion are the contentious issues of victim reparations and the FARC's demobilisation.
    Santos said he is willing to meet FARC leader Timochenko, whose real name is Rodrigo Londono, in pursuit of a final deal amidst frustration over the slow pace of the talks.
    "I have no problem meeting Timochenko at this stage (of the peace process) whether to speed it up, or to finish it off. What interests me is settling this conflict as soon as possible and I am willing to meet whatever the circumstances," he said.
    More than three dozen FARC commanders are in Cuba working through the five-point agenda that would let the two sides declare an end to the fighting that has killed more than 200,000 since it began in 1964.
    Timochenko is not personally taking part in the negotiations and his exact whereabouts are unknown.
    Last month, Santos ordered a halt to air raids on FARC rebel bases to support peace. He told journalists he would maintain that position, even if he knew the where Timochenko was located.
    "(Reporter: Would you bomb the camp where Timochenko was?) I think that at this stage, no," added Santos.
    Any meeting between Santos and Timochenko would be the first such sit-down since former President Andres Pastrana met rebel founder Manuel Marulanda during peace talks that fell apart in 2002.
    Timochenko, who was trained in irregular warfare in Cuba and politics in Russia in the 1980s, took over as head of the Marxist FARC after Colombian forces killed former boss Alfonso Cano in late 2011.
    Colombia's attorney general has put out at least 117 capture orders against Timochenko for kidnapping, murder, rebellion and terrorism while the United States has offered up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.
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