‘Paramilitary’ threat puts Colombia peace talks on hold

‘Paramilitary’ threat puts Colombia peace talks on hold

written by Adriaan Alsema April 8, 2016

Peace talks between Colombia’s government and FARC rebels are stuck because the government refuses to acknowledge the existence of far-right paramilitaries while the FARC demands their dismantling.

According to both the Colombian and US governments, paramilitary groups ceased to exist in 2006 when the last unit of paramilitary organization AUC formally mobilized. However, hardly anyone in Colombia believes either Bogota or Washington DC, especially after the heirs of the AUC, “Los Urabeños,” shut down parts of the country over the weekend.

The FARC, who has been engaged in active combat with these groups for years, has called for the effective dismantling of the paramilitary structures once run by the AUC and now by the Urabeños.

However, according to Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas, “it is irresponsible to qualify these groups as paramilitary” even though the years have made it crystal clear that the men currently running the Urabeños are the same people who once fought for the AUC and, like the paramilitaries, are violently opposing leftist political forces.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/paramilitary-threat-puts-farc-peace-talks-hold/