FARC-EP, Colombian Government Peace Talks Resumed

The delegations of FARC-EP and the Colombian government to the peace talks in Colombia resumed the 36th cycle on Sunday, focusing on the issue of victims of the conflict.

In previous days, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People´s Army (FARC-EP) defended their stance against aerial spraying of glyphosate, in a context marked by positions within the Colombian government regarding the use of this controversial herbicide as part of the anti-drug policy.

In that regard, the member of the guerrilla delegation, Joaquin Gomez, recalled that the government war policy against drug trafficking, inspired by Washington, has failed.

After reiterating the insurgents’ rejection of the government’s scheme based on aerial spraying-forced eradication, the rebel commander welcomed the recommendation by the Colombian Ministry of Health to stop using this herbicide, after the World Health Organization (WHO) described it as a probable carcinogenic substance.

The controversy about the use of glyphosate to fumigate illegal crops has caused divisions in the Colombian government, after Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon and Attorney General Alejandro Ordoñez defended its use, despite the recommendation by the Ministry of Health.

Regarding the issue of illegal crops, FARC-EP reiterated its view based on a human rights approach and that, in their opinion, “the scheme is not eradication but voluntary replacement accompanied by comprehensive development projects for the communities that are the main protagonists of the processes.”