Columbia's President says FARC must swop guns for peace
(Vatican Radio) Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos says the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia the FARC must swop guns for peace. President Juan Manuel Santos
agrees that the FARC must disarm, but only when the peace process is finalised. Some
experts have said the FARC should lay down their arms before that point, as a gesture
of goodwill. President Santos said a ceasefire would come into effect, only when
the entire process is concluded. The FARC who declared a truce over the Christmas
holidays, wanted to extend it. But the Government, wary of past machinations and ploys
categorically refused. President Santos is still promising the Colombian people
their say via a referendum, in spite of the fact that the FARC has categorically rejected
this proposal saying instead, it wants a constituent assemply to dot the I's and cross
the T's. All of this talk appears hopeful, optimistic... yet premature. Up to
now, only land reform has been agreed. Just how the FARC will lay down their guns,
transform into a political party, abandon their funding via trafficking drugs and
how thousands of victims as well as casulties will be compensated, is still under
discussion. This process which started last Novemebr, is going to take longer than
the rest of this year to resolve. Listen to this report by James Blears