FARC suspends unilateral ceasefire
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP).
It was not in our plans to suspend the unilateral and indefinite cease-fire proclaimed on December 20, 2014 as a humanitarian gesture of de-escalation of the conflict, but the inconsistency of the Santos government has done so, after five months of attacks on the ground and in the air against our structures throughout the country.
We deplore the joint attack of the Air Force, the army and the police carried out at dawn on Thursday against a camp of the 29 Front of the FARC in Guapi (Cauca), during which, according to official sources, 26 guerrilla combatants were killed.
For us, the deaths of guerrilla combatants and soldiers are equally painful; they are children of the same nation and from poor families. We must stop this bleeding.
Against our will, we have to continue the talks in the midst of the confrontation. Although Santos announces that he will keep the offensive, we insist on the need to agree, as soon as possible, to the health of the peace process and to prevent further victimization, on a bilateral ceasefire, insistently requested by national majorities.
We appreciate the work of monitoring and verification of the unilateral ceasefire that was carried out by the Broad Front for Peace and the social and political movements of Colombia during these five months.
Secretariat of the Central High Command of the FARC-EP Colombian jungle, May 22, 2015