Colombia, FARC agree on land reform

(Vatican Radio) A major breakthrough has happened in the peace talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, more commonly known as the FARC.

After six months of peace talks at Havana's Convention Center, both sides have agreed on land reform proposals, which involve major economic and social development initiatives, including better land distribution.

Government representative Humberto De La Calle said: "We have a real opportunity to reach peace through dialogue."

FARC spokesman Ricardo Tellez agreed, saying: "We have reached very important agreements."


The second phase now involves how the FARC will reform from a fighting entity into a political organization.

"We expect to make major progress on this issue to open up democracy in Colombia," Tellez said.

The FARC insisted that there must be an overall umbrella agreement for an overall peace settlement to be reached.

This is a very significant step on the road toward ending a conflict, which has been marching on since 1964. More than 600,000 people have been killed during the conflict and, with no ceasefire, more are dying every day.

Listen to the report by James Blears: