The leader of the dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Luciano Marín Arango, alias Iván Márquez, is “alive” and “lucid”, confirmed the High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda, who also pointed out that he sees willingness in members of the insurgent group to open a dialogue with the government of President Gustavo Petro.
“It was a few days ago and I saw it lucidly. All this is an exploration phase and we cannot say that there is a table (of negotiations). We are in mutual verification of wills. He is conscious, he is alive,” he assured this Wednesday in an interview with the local BluRadio about the meeting with the guerrilla leader.
Márquez, chief negotiator of the FARC in the peace talks in Havana that ended in a historic peace agreement, distanced himself after the implementation process of the pact and reorganized dissident factions of the guerrilla in what is known as the Second Marquetalia.
Rumors about his death began to circulate last June after an alleged attack, something that the insurgent group denied shortly after.
The Colombian High Commissioner for Peace also reported on a meeting with members of the “Alfonso Cano” front of the “Second Marquetalia”, from whom he indicated noticing gestures towards a possible negotiation to lay down their arms.
“I am surprised that there is fluid communication with its top commanders, a willingness to be part of total peace. We have spoken of the clarity that will govern any type of conversation with any armed group and demands for humanitarian gestures that are to reflect in the coming days,” said Rueda.
Regarding the efforts of the Petro Administration to achieve ceasefires throughout the country and the dialogue they want to establish with all the armed groups, he explained that at least nine are in the initial “exploratory phase” of a possible dialogue with the Government.
Rueda did not give specific dates on the resumption of the peace dialogue with the National Liberation Army (ELN) or the country where the negotiating table will be installed.
In addition, he announced that although Chile was excluded from the process, now the Colombian government is willing for it to once again be part of the guarantor countries of the talks.
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