By Jaime Ortega.
The Colombian government and the FARC announced yesterday in Havana that they had reached ” an agreement on the second agenda item ,” which paves the way for the political future of the guerrillas. It was the news I expected Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos , to formalize that aims to stay another four years in office , after months of criticism and popularity at a low ebb.
This agreement would allow the Colombian guerrillas involved in political affairs to leave their weapons behind once they officially sign the peace agreement. The treaty, explained Humberto de la Calle, chief negotiator of Colombia , allows for a statute providing security for the emergence of new political opponent movements, among which must arise with the demobilization of the FARC.
In addition , the agreement provides for the creation of ” special districts ” for “a transition period” after the signing of any peace agreement . Thus, FARC members from different regions of the country could occupy seats in the Chamber of Representatives in Colombia.
Abandonment of weapons
However, specific decisions that the Colombian guerrillas become a legal political party shall be treated by the parties later, when they discuss the point of abandoned weapons and return to civilian life, as pointed De la Calle . The negotiating team will sit in Havana November 18 .
” What we did in this agreement the government and the FARC was to agree a mechanism involving legitimate national political organizations in that space is given life by statute for the opposition ,” said De La Calle .
If FARC finally moves on the direction to peace and stability, the negotiation process will conclude successfully and come to politics, the executive will be forced to take special measures to ensure and promote a culture of reconciliation , coexistence and tolerance.
There will be many Colombians who will feel betrayed when he sees the guerrillas in democratic institutions . “It is a historic breakthrough, ” De La Calle said yesterday , however, others felt that they had taken no steps towards achieving read peace.
” This agreement is vague as there is no concrete progress to support it ,” stated Alfredo Rangel , a security expert in Colombia .
presidential re-election
The FARC has been followed and understood Santos desire to move towards peace , after a year of negotiating without concrete results and opposite popularity . And now , when he sought to discuss his expected re-election Santos reached an agreement.
However, there are still many points to discuss and it is not clear that the commitments will be attained easily , considering how difficult it has proven so far to achieve. The negotiations had been stalled for weeks by differences over the second of five issues agreed in the peace agenda. Both sides reached in late May a preliminary agreement on the first point, regarding land development in certain areas in Southern Colombia.
Certainly, the photographs of the FARC negotiators Ivan Marquez , Tanja , and Jesus Santrich sunbathing on a yacht while enjoying a vacation in the beaches of Cuba have failed to calm down a public that distrusts these talks to have a successful conclusion .
Santos: ‘ We are on the right track ‘
Santos said with respect to the agreements signed, that concerning the development of agriculture and the eventual guerrilla political participation , the talks have not progressed on schedule for him to have ” concrete results.”
“Today there is good news that shows that we are on the right track. The deal reached today is not only for the future participation of a guerrilla ,no! Is an agreement that serves the whole society and promotes pluralism, promotes tolerance and civic participation , ” said the president.
The Head of State added that since talks began last year with the FARC they have been “breakthroughs never achieved in the country ” with the guerrillas . ” I understand the impatience and scepticism of some, but we have to understand that peace is not with friends but with enemies and that a 50-year conflict is not resolved easily in 50 weeks ,” he said .
Also, Santos insisted that ” nothing is agreed until everything is agreed upon”, so that we can talk about peace “only if an agreement is reached , including the abandonment of weapons , demobilization and incorporation into civil life of the FARC. ”
Finally , the president said that ” this is the time to step up and stand firm in talks ” to achieve ” a Colombia without conflict and without drugs” , and urged his compatriots to support the possibility of a referendum on a possible final agreement.
The agreement is welcomed
Immune to criticism , Marquez , welcomed the agreement . “It is perhaps one of the most important achievements ,” he said . “Time to call all political parties and social organizations spokespersons to develop guidelines that allow us to finally have a statute for political opposition .”
The announcement of the agreement caused a sharp division in the country. While some praised the compromise and already talked about how to organize the transition after the guerrilla bears down its arms. Others preferred to wait to know the specifics of the agreement before deciding , but hoped that Santos in their quest for reelection , had not signed anything with the FARC that could later regret .
Government closed negotiators yesterday FARC and the sixteenth round of talks in Havana with an agreement on political participation will start soon. The parties will be back on November 18 to try to find ” a solution to the problem of illicit drugs .”
