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WAR REPORT
Colombia peace talks to resume though future in doubt
by Staff Writers
Havana (AFP) June 02, 2014


FARC leader declares opposition to drug trade
Bogota (AFP) June 02, 2014 - The head of Colombia's FARC rebels, long believed to fund guerrilla activities via the drug trade, said Monday that he opposes the trade as "counter-revolutionary."

Timoleon Jimenez, known by his nom de guerre "Timochenko," said in an interview posted on the Internet that the FARC is opposed at its core to drug trafficking, "because it has killed many of our colleagues."

Jimenez, chief commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, added in the interview that drug trafficking "has slowed development and has done a lot of harm," particularly in terms of "large number of youths" lost to the drug trade.

The rebel leader made his remarks as the Colombian government and the guerrilla group prepared to resume peace talks in Cuba Tuesday which aim to end a half century of armed conflict.

It would be their first session since Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos placed second to a fierce opponent of the peace talks, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, in the first round presidential vote May 25.

Polls show the two neck-and-neck as they head toward a June 15 runoff.

The Havana talks began in November 2012 and have led to partial agreements on terms for the FARC's political reintegration, rural development and drug trafficking.

But at least three major issues remain unresolved: the surrender of weapons, compensation for victims of the conflict, and whether a peace agreement would be ratified by a national referendum or some other means.

Colombia's government and the FARC rebel group will resume peace talks on Tuesday, officials said, even though the country's presidential election has placed the process in doubt.

A source in the FARC delegation told AFP the talks would continue for about two days, instead of the 11 days that past rounds have typically lasted.

It would be their first session since Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos placed second to a fierce opponent of the peace talks, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, in the first round presidential vote May 25.

Polls show the two neck-and-neck as they head toward a June 15 runoff.

Meanwhile in Bogota, the army reported that six FARC guerrillas were killed and seven others captured various operations in southwestern Colombia.

With an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 fighters, the FARC is the largest of two leftist guerrilla groups active in Colombia.

Zuluaga has placed tough pre-conditions for continuing peace talks if he is elected: a permanent cease-fire by the FARC and jail time for its leaders.

Santos, who has made the bid to end Latin America's longest insurgency the centerpiece of his presidency, has warned that Zuluaga's demands are non-starters that would prolong the 50-year-old conflict.

The Havana talks began in November 2012 and have led to partial agreements on terms for the FARC's political reintegration, rural development and drug trafficking.

But at least three major issues remain unresolved: the surrender of weapons, compensation for victims of the conflict, and whether a peace agreement would be ratified by a national referendum or some other means.

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