Farc rebels have called for ‘more time’ to be given for peace negotiations to take place with the Colombian government, after 6 months of talks between the warring parties.
The organisation’s lead negotiator Ivan Marque called for ‘more time’ stating,
"You have been watching the Giro d'Italia (cycle race). Some people want us to go at this pace, but if we go at this pace, we will fail."
"We have to approach these issues with serenity, with depth if we really want to form the solid basis to build a stable and long-lasting peace".
The BBC reported that talks between the two sides have stalled on the issue of land re-distribution, after the Colombian government’s seizure of millions of hectares from displaced peasants.
Whilst talks are taking place, Jorge Restrepo, director of Colombia's Conflict Analysis Resource Centre, commented that "no big changes have happened", adding,
"We have seen an intensification of violence that violates the human rights of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and human rights defenders."