30, August, 2019
Colombia's Bishops say that arms and violence can only cause destruction, pain and death, and that nothing can justify returning to war.
In a note released on Thursday, the Bishops assure the people of Colombia that “peace is possibleâ€.
“We encourage and accompany all those who, through dialogue and negotiation, commit themselves to reintegration into civilian life and democracy,†they write.
'Betrayal':
On Wednesday, two former FARC commanders posted a video in which they called a 3-year-old peace deal ‘a betrayal’.
Colombia’s President Ivan Duque is offering a reward of US$ 800,000 for former FARC Chief Peace Negotiator, Ivan Marquez, and for each of the ex-commanders who appeared in the video.
The FARC leader says the Colombian government has been indolent and indifferent to a wave of violence over the last two years.
It is believed that around 150 ex-guerrillas, and 500 activists, were systematically targeted and murdered.
Mr. Marquez says that the FARC won't seek direct conflict with the government, but will only respond to offensives.
Government response:
In a national broadcast, President Duque picked up the gauntlet calling the rebels a criminal enterprise of narco-terrorists, who are being sheltered by the government of neighboring Venezuela.
He is vowing to create a special Armed Forces Unit, using all available enhanced intelligence methods and greater nationwide mobility, in order to hunt them down.
Broken peace:
In 2016, a Peace Treaty between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government ended over half a century of conflict.
At the time, the FARC said they had disarmed, and promised to evolve into a political party.
But the transition has been marred by killings, mostly by organized crime which has attempted to muscle in on territory once controlled by the FARC.