The government of Colombia has agreed with the Central General Staff of the FARC a ceasefire protocol that they say does not limit the Army’s obligations of “security and national defense” and prohibits patrols by dissidents.
This protocol is contained in a communiqué from the Ministry of Defense and the High Commissioner for Peace in which “it prohibits the transit or permanence of the armed group Central General Staff FARC-EP in municipal capitals, corregimentos, police inspections, as well as on primary roads, avoiding any affectation to the life and physical integrity of the civilian population”.
Also mentioned in the communiqué is the creation of a “Supervision, Monitoring and Verification Mechanism that will issue technical concepts and prepare recommendations to prevent and face possible incidents or non-compliance”. This system includes the Ministry of Defense, the High Commissioner for Peace and international members and will have the support of civil society and the Catholic Church.
The Colombian government points out that these protocols do not exclude the work of the public force to exercise national security and defense obligations, as well as reduce the powers of the State.
“The Public Force will continue to act, respecting the bilateral ceasefire and complying with the commitments acquired in the signed protocol, exercising its functions and constitutional, legal and regulatory mandate without any exception”, explains the statement.
Even after the announcement of the ceasefire by the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, there are still records in the country of crimes committed in areas commanded by guerrillas such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) — among which is the Central General Staff, commanded by supposedly by the pseudonym “Iván Mordisco”.
Among the crimes are kidnapping, harassment of patrols or police stations and confrontations in these areas.
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