The Colombian president, Juan Manual Santos, warned the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that he will continue with the plan to demobilise the organisation.
Santos was speaking after the military operation in which FARC leader, Jorge Briceño, also known as Mono Jojoy died in the area of Macarena.
He maintained that the operation had been a ‘great victory’ but said that this was not yet the moment of triumph and the fight had to go on.
Furthermore, he said that the militants need to understand that, “the only way forward is demobilisation: to abandon weapons and terrorism as a whole”.
Santos stated that he would be, “at the forefront of the strategy to protect the safety of all Colombians”.
He said that Mono Jojoy had been, “the symbol of terror in Colombia, symbolising the inhumanity of an organisation that had been playing with the lives and liberty of Colombian people for nearly half a century”.
Santos served as the defence minister under ex-president Álvaro Uribe between 2006 and 2009. It was from this post that he co-ordinated the military strategy against FARC.
Since his election campaign his speeches have been characterised by a firm stance against the terrorist group. In fact, in recent weeks he rejected talks with FARC, saying that he would talk when they laid down their weapons.
Some high-profile Colombians have asked him to find a peaceful way out via talks.
Among them are the ex peace-commissioner in Colombia, Camilo Gómez, the senator for the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA), Gloria Inés Ramírez and the liberal senator, Piedad Córdoba.
Story courtesy of Agencia Pulsar, a news agency run by AMARC-ALC network of community radios
