CUBA: Colombian FARC rebels call for justice for combatants during peace talks in Havana

Record ID: 349712

  • Title: CUBA: Colombian FARC rebels call for justice for combatants during peace talks in Havana
  • Date: 5th July 2013
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (JULY 05, 2013) (REUTERS) FARC PEACE NEGOTIATORS ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE CARRYING BANNER THAT READS: "CATATUMBO MARTYRS" CAMERAMAN FARC PEACE NEGOTIATORS ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE CARRYING SYMBOLIC COFFIN BANNER THAT READS: "CATATUMBO MARTYRS: DROMER ANGARICA, EDINSON FRANCO, LEONEL JACOME AND HERMIDEZ PALACIO" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FARC PEACE NEGO
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cuba
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA2GOZC1V8P46YWCR2A58LYR5O0
  • Story Text: Colombia's FARC rebels arrive for peace talks in Havana carrying symbolic coffin and banner calling for justice of fallen Catatumbo fighters.


    FARC negotiators hammering out a peace deal in Havana arrived for the peace talks carrying a symbolic coffin and banner on Friday (July 05), calling for justice for the fallen fighting with Colombian rebel leader Pablo Catatumbo.
    Catatumbo, who is sought by the United States for drug trafficking, joined talks in Havana with other members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in April to reinforce the negotiating team.
    His real name is Jorge Torres Victoria and he is one of the FARC's seven-member leadership group known as the Secretariat. He heads a strong FARC unit in Southern Colombia involved in attacks and clashes with the army almost on a daily basis.
    Amid a banner that read: "Catatumbo Martyrs: Dromer Angarica, Edinson Franco, Leonel Jacome and Hermidez Palacio," FARC peace negotiator, Victoria Sandino, said: "To the fallen in the fight for land, martyr colleagues of Catatumbo, present, present, present."
    Colombia's government has been in peace negotiations in Cuba with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, since November in the hope of ending five decades of war.
    FARC's negotiations with the government deal with issues including disarmament, land reform and political participation.
    In the last few months the rebels have asked the government to delay elections to favour dialogue, allowing for the creation of a constituent assembly, which the South American country's authorities have repeatedly rejected.
    The Marxist group presented a document stating the conditions to form the constituent assembly.
    "The referendum to call for a constituent assembly should not be subject to the expedition of a law by Congress. The mechanisms for popular participation should be promoted and financed by the state. Private financing will be banned," Sandino said before continuing talks with the Colombian government.
    Petitions of this kind could slow progress in the already drawn-out talks which are likely to frustrate President Juan Manuel Santos, who has insisted that the FARC stick to conditions for talks agreed at the outset.
    The document also included topics related to political participation, to be discussed at the talks. They include political participation for real democracy, peace with social justice and national reconciliation as well as 11 minimal proposals for the democratic restructuring of the state and political reform.
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