Ponce recalled that Havana was the venue of talks between the delegations from the Santos government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a dialogue that concluded with the deal signed in Cartagena de Indias on September 26, 2016.
However, the opposition’s disagreements led to a popular plebiscite that forced the modification of points in the document that was signed again on November 25 at the Colon Theater in this capital.
This way, the talks between the two parties, with Cuba and Norway as guarantors, put an end to over five decades of civil war, although other guerrilla groups remain active in the country.
The diplomat recalled the interest that the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, always showed in the issue, and quoted him in one of his reflections where he proposed Cuba to be the venue for negotiations.
«…we had offered our territory as the venue for any peace talks, with the only requirement that we would not participate in the negotiations since the problem had to be solved exclusively among Colombians without any type of international pressure,» Fidel wrote then.
Ponce again quoted the Cuban leader when in 1999 he stated that «as Latin Americans what we have to do is try to collaborate with Colombia, with the country, help the country achieve a fair peace that benefits everyone.»
Thus, the Cuban ambassador in Bogota emphasized that Cuba acquired a commitment and, he added, will continue to help achieve peace in Colombia.
The Cuban ambassador was invited to reflect on peace in Colombia at a virtual forum arranged by the Compaz foundation regarding the signing of the New Final Agreement at the Colon Theater.
Four years after the event, considered a milestone in the history of Colombia, the Peace Agreement has not yet been implemented in the way it was agreed, a claim that the former guerrillas make to the current government of President Ivan Duque.
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