AP (with additional material by AFP). 12 January 2002. Colombia Peace Talk Deadline Passes.
LOS POZOS -- A deadline for reviving peace talks between Colombia's government and main rebel army passed Saturday night, with the rebels saying the president had not responded to their last-minute proposals. A few minutes after the deadline, leaders of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said they sent President Andres Pastrana a draft agreement proposing that a commission be formed to investigate security controls that had led the rebels to abandon the peace talks in October. The FARC, for now, appeared to drop demands that the military immediately pull back, instead proposing in the draft agreement, which was distributed to the press, that complaints of any "threats" along the borders of the safe haven be examined by a special commission. The 14-point draft proposal of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) also agrees to immediately study a document that include proposals for a cease-fire and an end to hostilities and abductions. The 14-point proposal would also make the search for peace a state policy, more closely involve foreign nations as supporters of the peace process and maintain the Switzerland-sized demilitarized zone in southern Colombia as a site for peace talks. They also invite the Catholic Church to participate in the peace talks, want foreign nations to take a more active role and want to maintain their Switzerland-sized safe haven in southern Colombia as a site for peace talks. Camouflage-clad rebel spokesman Joaquin Gomez read the FARC statement announcing the proposal in the town of Los Pozos, located inside the remote demilitarized zone the rebels have occupied since November 1998. The rebels said Pastrana had not yet responded. A United Nations mediator said the president wanted time to consider the proposals. A veteran rebel interviewed in San Vicente echoed pledges that the insurgents would pull back from the five towns if Pastrana put an end to the safe haven, which he agreed to three years ago as a condition for starting peace talks. But the rebel said the countryside of pastureland and thick jungle was another matter. "If the government wants the rural areas -- even a place five minutes from here -- they'll have to fight for it," said Mauricio, who wouldn't give his last name. Meanwhile, eight civilians and five Colombian soldiers were wounded Saturday when a car bomb exploded outside a military post on the edge of the demilitarized zone, officials announced. Although the victims were only lightly injured, the attack followed a separate incident in which Colonel Jorge Calderon, the local chief of police, said his officers had arrested four FARC men who were observing troop movements. According to Colonel Jorge Calderon, the local chief of police, the men said the FARC was planning a wave of car bomb attacks to stop soldiers mobilizing towards the demilitarized zone. Early Saturday, one person was injured when 25 kilos (55 pounds) of dynamite was ignited in the border town of Cucuta in northeastern Colombia, police said, rattling nerves but causing only modest damage. The blast damaged buildings at a park near the international bridge connecting Cucuta to Venezuela. Regional police said they had no suspects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
