Peace Negotiations are at Stake in Colombia
By JOSE ECHEVERRY
Video Editor
Colombia has been at war with Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionaries de Columbia (FARC), a guerilla warfare group, for more than 50 years.
FARC is a revolutionary guerilla group that was born from an anti-government. It is a terrorist group that has caused harsh destructions, violence and the shed for decades.
The Colombian government and FARC reached a deal to start negotiating a peace treaty in Havana, Cuba, with the help of the Cuban government. President Juan Manuel Santos has emphasized that it is essential for Colombia to reach a deal with this horrendous militant group in order to bring peace to a country that has been hit by violence and bloodshed.
FARC decreed a unilateral cease-fire back on Dec. 11. This terrorist group murdered soldiers of the Colombian army after an ambush.
Since FARC ordered a cease-fire, there had been no official reports of attacks by this militant group contrary to the testimonies of villagers who claimed that the guerilla group never stopped attacking the civil population.
On the morning of April 15, it changed when this militant and rebel group deliberately attacked and ambushed more than 30 soldiers that were camped in a rural village in the southern part of the country.
“I never believed in those peace negotiations with FARC. There are simply no conditions set by the government and this is not the first time this guerilla group have done something like this,” said Juan Jaramillo, sophomore from Colombia.
Many Colombians are not too hopeful on these negotiations because of the lack of compromise from FARC.
Political sectors and affiliations are begging the government to put an end to these false peace negotiations undertaking in Havana. The opposition claims that while soldiers are sacrificing their life and living in the jungle in order to protect our sovereignty, FARC leaders are enjoying a free vacation paid by Colombian citizens free of any harm.
“It’s hard to acknowledge that while we are fighting a war against this terrorist group, their leaders are in Cuba enjoying freedom and luxuries,” said Estefania Perez, sophomore.
While the Colombian insists to continue the peace negotiations for an eventual treaty, many Colombians are asking themselves how the government has not put an end to them after this hideous and vile attack by the guerilla FARC.
