Colombia’s High Commissioner for Peace on Thursday called on the dissidents of the extinct FARC operating in Cauca (southwest) to cease hostilities during the Christmas period, as well as the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas, following attacks in recent weeks.
In a statement, the Colombian authorities have called on these armed groups to «listen to the Cauca people’s cry for peace» and «pave the way for dialogue» with a ceasefire during the Christmas period, as a cessation of hostilities «would be an important step» to advance in the dialogue.
«No more Colombian should die or be injured as a result of violence, whether it is politically motivated or not», reads the communiqué of the High Commissioner for Peace, in which it is remarked that the Government of President Gustavo Petro’s purpose is to defend the lives of the entire population, whether civilians, police, military, «and even those who today act against the law».
The text mentions the moment that many municipalities of the Cauca region are going through, where in the last few weeks there has been an escalation of violent acts allegedly committed by FARC dissidents.
However, Colombian authorities have extended this call for a ceasefire to «all armed expressions that persist» in the country.
This week, at least four people were injured after two men on a motorcycle threw an explosive device in the vicinity of a police station in the Cauca municipality of Timbío. Days earlier, in Balboa, one agent was killed and three suffered injuries of varying severity.
The authorities suspect that some of the FARC dissidents, such as the ‘Carlos Patiño’ structure, could be behind these attacks. However, paramilitary groups such as the Clan del Golfo or the Aguilas Negras, heirs of the demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), also operate in the area.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
