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Colombia refuses to create zone to hold talks with FARC |
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12:32, July 07, 2007 |
The Colombian government on Friday rejected former President Andres Pastrana's proposal to create a zone to hold talks with the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Pastrana had proposed that the government create a zone similar to the one he set up to negotiate with ultra-right-wing paramilitaries during his presidency.
On Thursday Pastrana confronted incumbent president Alvaro Uribe over his refusal to withdraw troops from the two southwestern municipalities of Pradera and Florida, as had been demanded by FARC as a precondition to talks.
Uribe rejected Pastrana's criticisms and said the place the former president had designated as a conversation headquarters with FARC had actually motivated the guerillas' growth.
During his presidency, Pastrana created a zone to hold talks at Caguan's San Vicente municipality in southern Colombia. The move was seen as a failure, however, when the guerrilla attacks continued.
The former president also questioned Uribe for refusing to apply his proposal, while at the same time specifying another region to negotiate with Colombia's Self-Defense United (AUC).
Colombia's government announced Friday that it had designated Santa Fe de Ralito, in northern Colombia, as a zone to sign a peace agreement with the AUC.
Thousands of Colombians demanded Thursday an end to the 44-year internal conflict between FARC and government.
Source: Xinhua
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