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An article from Prensa Latina
Parliamentarians, political parties and platforms like the Patriotic March celebrated today [12 May] the agreement signed by the Colombian government and the FARC-EP to legally ensure the agreements that have been reached in the Havana.
Video about the agreement on HispanTV
Through his Twitter account, the legislator Iván Cepeda, co-chairman of the peace committee of the Senate, lauded the decision of the belligerents to “shield” or protect the agreements.
According to the attorney Humberto de la Calle, the chief government spokespersons in these discussions, the final document will have the category of Special Agreement under the terms of Article III common to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the cornerstone of international humanitarian law. It will then be incorporated into national law following its approval in Congress, followed by presidential approval, he said.
Since 2012 representatives of the Colombia executive and the Revolutionary Armed People’s Forces (FARC-EP) in Cuba have engaged in a dialogue to find a political solution to the civil war, an initiative that is expected to be concluded soon.
The Patriotic Union party said in a statement that this is one of the best news the Colombian people could receive in the face of the media and political campaign promoted by the extreme right against the peace process. In their view, it will facilitate compliance with the principles of sustainability and the stability of the accords.
The agreement will be binding and no one can change it one iota, according to the platform Patriotic March, led by former congressman Piedad Cordoba.
Referring to the development of the meetings with the FARC-EP, Humberto de la Calle said that the two delegations are working hard to define the terms of the bilateral and definitive ceasefire, the surrender of weapons and disarmament of the insurgents, areas of temporary location for the guerrillas and guarantees for the future of the demobilized.