On neutral ground in Norway, representatives of the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also know as FARC are in closed talks in an effort to end the senseless violence that plagues the country. FARC, established in the 1964, has been a thorn in the goverment’s side by aiding the drug cartels, terrorizing citizens and influencing politics regularly. Click below to read more.
Historic closed-door talks between Colombia and Marxist rebels began on Wednesday in Norway after FARC rebel and government negotiators arrived in Oslo in a bid to end almost half a century of armed conflict, Norwegian officials said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is betting a decade of U.S.-backed blows against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has left the group sufficiently weakened to seriously seek an end to the war after so many failed attempts.
Both parties, whisked through a VIP section of Oslo airport, were taken to an undisclosed location around midday with the media completely shut out for planned meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, the Norwegian foreign ministry said.
This is the latest attempt to negotiate peace with the drug-funded rebels since they formed back in 1964. Past discussions ended in shambles, even strengthening the guerrillas’ ability to attack civilian and military targets.
Santos, a former defense minister, announced in September that the two sides had negotiated the terms of a draft agenda in Cuba, with the opening of the talks to take place in Oslo.
