Sawt Falasteen - Colombia starts talks with a third guerrilla group

The talks are the third launched under leftist president Gustavo Petro, who has faced multiple obstacles in his efforts to end six decades of conflict between security forces, guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs.

In the latest effort, Bogota is seeking peace with a FARC breakaway faction known as Segunda Marquetalia, which, according to military intelligence, has around 1,600 members.

The group's leader Ivan Marquez was the chief FARC negotiator for the 2016 deal, returned to civilian life and was elected a senator, before launching a new rebellion in 2019.

Thought to be dead, he reappeared in a video in May expressing his support for Petro, after his group agreed to resume talks.

"They had their chance. I believe that the path that remains for them is submission," said Senator Humberto de la Calle, a chief negotiator for Bogota for the 2016 deal.

Details of the agenda in Caracas are scarce, with an agreement signed last month saying only that talks would focus on "promoting democratic changes and reforms for peace."

Before the start of talks, Colombian army chief General Helder Giraldo, announced that there was "rapprochement" on reaching a bilateral ceasefire.

The Colombian government has since 2022 been involved in stop-start talks with the Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) -- responsible for the kidnapping last October of the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz.

In October 2023, talks began with the main FARC dissident group, the EMC, which have been plagued by ceasefire violations and a major split in the group in April, which saw half of its fighters abandon peace negotiations.

Rights groups accuse guerrillas in Colombia of taking advantage of various ceasefires to expand their influence by seizing more territory and recruiting new members.

According to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross published in April, clashes between armed groups have intensified and civilians are "paying the price."

S.Barghouti--SF-PST