COLOMBIA-REBELS Peace talks continue between FARC and government as FARC says negotiator killed in recent attack

Record ID: 165452

  • Title: COLOMBIA-REBELS Peace talks continue between FARC and government as FARC says negotiator killed in recent attack
  • Date: 27th May 2015
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MAY 27, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** VARIOUS OF FARC REPRESENTATIVES ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FARC NEGOTIATOR FELIX ANTONIO MUNOZ, KNOWN AS PASTOR ALAPE, SAYING: "Amid the grief that overwhelms us, we inform the country and the world that our colleague Jairo Martinez, a member of the peace delegation of the FARC-EP in Havana, who was on a mission of Education for Peace in this front, is among the guerrillas who were killed. We place a flower in honour of his memory and on the tombs of the honourable fallen comrades and friends." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FARC NEGOTIATOR FELIX ANTONIO MUNOZ, KNOWN AS PASTOR ALAPE, SAYING: "It is imperative to avert the fire of war that threatens to reactivate in the country, where until recently, the de-escalation of the conflict was safely progressing. The peace talks will not progress with bloodshed, President Santos." CAMERAMAN VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATORS ARRIVING TO ATTEND PEACE TALKS
  • Embargoed: 11th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cuba
  • City:
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEPDB4JF6TGLHIDAY7E0XUTW5J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Colombia's FARC rebels said on Wednesday (May 27) a member of their delegation taking part in peace talks had been killed in last week's air strike and warned the Colombian government "peace talks would not progress with bloodshed."
    Last week, the rebels suspended their unilateral ceasefire after a government attack killed dozens of guerrilla fighters.
    "Amid the grief that overwhelms us, we inform the country and the world that our colleague Jairo Martinez, a member of the peace delegation of the FARC-EP in Havana, who was on a mission of Education for Peace in this front, is among the guerrillas who were killed. We place a flower in honour of his memory and on the tombs of the honourable fallen comrades and friends," said FARC negotiator Felix Antonio Munoz, known as Pastor Alape.
    Speaking from Havana, Cuba, where talks have been taking place for two and a half years, Alape said peace would be unattainable if offensives intensify.
    "It is imperative to avert the fire of war that threatens to reactivate in the country, where until recently, the de-escalation of the conflict was safely progressing. The peace talks will not progress with bloodshed, President Santos."
    The FARC suspended an almost five-month unilateral ceasefire on Friday (May 22) after troops killed 26 of its fighters.
    The government had briefly suspended bombing raids on rebel encampments but restarted them after the FARC killed 11 soldiers in restive Cauca province in April, effectively breaking the ceasefire.
    The FARC, in the statement, repeated its demand for a bilateral ceasefire, which President Juan Manuel Santos has ruled out until a final peace deal is signed.
    Negotiators at the talks, championed by Santos, have reached partial accords on three of five agenda points: land reform, political participation for ex-rebels and an end to the illegal drugs trade.
    Still under discussion are the thorny topics of victim reparations and FARC demobilization. The war has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions since it began in 1964.
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