Colombia and FARC Reach Deal on Political Participation

[Frodo]

Colombia and Rebels Reach Deal on Political Participation

By WILLIAM NEUMAN
Published: November 6, 2013

CARACAS, Venezuela — Negotiators for the Colombian government and the country’s largest guerrilla group announced Wednesday that they had agreed on a framework for the rebels to take part in the political process, a crucial step forward in peace talks aimed at ending nearly 50 years of fighting between the government and the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The deal, announced in Havana, where the talks are taking place, was the second point of agreement reached since the two sides began negotiations to resolve a long list of differences late last year. In May, they announced plans to reduce rural inequality.

The agreements on individual issues will go into effect only if a full peace deal is completed, and the two sides have a long way to go. Sporadic fighting is still taking place, and the rebel fighters have yet to surrender their weapons. Drug trafficking remains an important source of financing for the guerrillas and a source of conflict with the government.

Still, the accord could eventually open the way for the FARC to transform itself into a political party and run candidates in elections.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This will never last, as the FARC is not a political movement, they are a drug cartel that uses political rhetoric as an excuse. A non-violent FARC political party would be a joke that would never get above double digits and have no real power, as FARC has next to no popular support. The drug money is the only thing that keeps them around.

[Famous Mortimer]

This will never last, as the FARC is not a political movement, they are a drug cartel that uses political rhetoric as an excuse. A non-violent FARC political party would be a joke that would never get above double digits and have no real power, as FARC has next to no popular support. The drug money is the only thing that keeps them around.

[Peeperkorn]

This will never last, as the FARC is not a political movement, they are a drug cartel that uses political rhetoric as an excuse. A non-violent FARC political party would be a joke that would never get above double digits and have no real power, as FARC has next to no popular support. The drug money is the only thing that keeps them around.

It's not a Cartel, but yes, they get some money with the drug stuff.

And no, people don't like the FARC. First, because they are/were one of the most bloodthirsty guerrillas in the World. Second, because they are guilty of Colombia being a mess the last decades.

Santos popularity will plummet if he doesn't go full Rambo.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Is it worth mentioning that right-wing militia and the Colombian military have killed more people than FARC in the past decade?

Nevertheless, this is a good development (though as BRTD said, the political goals have become a facade for the drug trade). Hopefully as FARC continues to fade from relevance, the Colombian left will gain traction and copy some of the reforms made in the ALBA states.

[Peeperkorn]

Is it worth mentioning that right-wing militia and the Colombian military have killed more people than FARC in the past decade?

Nevertheless, this is a good development (though as BRTD said, the political goals have become a facade for the drug trade). Hopefully as FARC continues to fade from relevance, the Colombian left will gain traction and copy some of the reforms made in the ALBA states.

a) Can you define Paramilitares? (the right-wing militias you talked about)

b) Can you give data of Paras killing and destroying more than the FARC? And if they killed more, that makes FARC less guilty of their atrocities?

c) Anyway, without FARC, Paras would have never existed.

d) Colombia already have leftist and successful parties.

e) I highly doubt that today's FARC has any ideology.

f) ALBA is not an ideology a pan national movement or whatever. It's just an informal name for Venezuela and its friendly countries.

g) Most of the left parties in the continent (especially in the most developed countries as Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Southern Brazil) don't see the Bolivarian neologism for Populism as the right way to govern. In fact they secretly or not so secretly despise the ALBA countries.

h) You need to understand that in Latin America every country has its own reality.