Colombia launches offensive against FARC

(Vatican Radio) One of the chief peace negotiators for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has sharply criticized Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos for having launched a two-pronged military offensive in the country’s east and south.

FARC negotiator Rodrigo Granda called the president’s offensive “an unfortunate decision”.

But the FARC has launched ambushes in recent months as well, killing dozens of government troops.


The first anniversary of the peace talks, which are being held in Cuba, is 18 October. To date, the only point of agreement is land reform. The points still under discussion include: the FARC laying down its weapons; political participation; an end to drug trafficking, and compensation of this conflict's victims.

Santos has also launched a verbal broadside, saying: "I again ask the FARC, let's get this process moving. We must speed things up because people are beginning to lose belief in this process. We can't keep putting things off forever. We need to move forward... and we need agreement."

This is the fourth attempt since the 1980s to reach a peace agreement. The FARC has been fighting the government since 1964, though FARC membership is believed to have halved to about 8,000. Hundreds of thousands have died and millions have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict.

Listen to the report by James Blears: