Colombia, FARC to publish partial peace deals

HAVANA, Cuba – Colombia’s government and leftist rebel FARC said Wednesday, September 24, they would release partial peace deals they have reached so far seeking to end the five-decade conflict.

In an effort to stop speculation and foster transparency, the two sides agreed to publish draft texts adopted so far at their nearly two-year-old talks in Havana, they announced in an email.

They did not say when the deals would be published.

The statement condemned speculation that has surrounded the talks as “the product of ignorance in some cases, in others of a clear intention to spread disinformation.”

Since the two sides launched the current negotiations in November 2012, they have reached deals on three broad issues: land reform, political participation for ex-rebels; and fighting the drug trade that has helped fund the conflict.

Remaining items on the agenda are reparations for victims; disarmament; and the mechanism by which the final deal will be put into force.

The two sides emphasized that the partial agreements were still subject to change until a final deal was reached.

“The agreements are governed by the principle that ‘nothing is settled until everything is settled,'” they said.

“Each delegation is free to revisit whatever aspects it wants.”

But “both delegations are convinced (the partial deals) contain important major changes to lay the groundwork for peace and guarantee the conflict won’t be repeated,” they added.

The partial deals will be published on the website mesadeconversaciones.com.co. – Rappler.com