FARC

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Colombia Will Sign Cease-Fire Before Pope Visits

The government has struck a deal with the country's last major rebel group

(Newser) - Colombia's government will sign a bilateral cease-fire with the nation's last remaining major rebel group ahead of Pope Francis' visit this week, President Juan Manuel Santos announced Monday. Santos said the agreement will be signed later in the day in Quito, Ecuador, where negotiations with the National Liberation...

Latin America's Longest Conflict Steps Toward Its End

Colombia's FARC guerrillas lay down nearly all arms, declare end to insurgency

(Newser) - Colombia reached a major milestone on its road to peace Tuesday as leftist rebels gave up some of their last weapons and declared an end to their half-century insurgency. The historic step was taken as President Juan Manuel Santos traveled to a demobilization camp in Colombia's eastern jungles to...

Peace Laureate: Nobel Was 'Gift From Heaven'

Colombia's Santos says it gave him the momentum to close crumbling peace deal with FARC

(Newser) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, saying it gave a boost to the "impossible dream" of ending his country's half-century-long civil war. In his acceptance speech, Santos described the award as a "gift from heaven" and dedicated it to all Colombians,...

Colombia Passes Deal to End 52-Year War

Voters rejected the last one

(Newser) - Colombia's Congress formally ratified a revised peace agreement with Colombia's biggest leftist rebel group Wednesday night, capping a torturous four years of negotiations, a stunning referendum rejection , last-minute compromises, and two signing ceremonies. The initial pact was narrowly rejected by voters last month, and President Juan Manuel Santos...

Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Man Helping End 52-Year War

Colombian president won despite voter rejection of deal with rebels

(Newser) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for what the Nobel Committee calls "his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end," the AP reports. Santos and Rodrigo Londono, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces...

Voters Deal Shocking Blow to Colombia's FARC Peace Deal

They narrowly rejected accord to end 52-year war

(Newser) - Voters rejected a peace deal with leftist rebels by a razor-thin margin in a national referendum Sunday, delivering a major setback to President Juan Manuel Santos, who vowed to keep a ceasefire in place and not give up his campaign to end a half-century of war, the AP reports. With...

Colombia, FARC Sign Historic Peace Deal

Thousands cheer

(Newser) - Colombia's government and the country's largest rebel movement signed a historic peace accord Monday evening ending a half-century of combat that caused more than 220,000 deaths and made 8 million homeless, the AP reports. Underlining the importance of the deal, President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono,...

Colombia Ushers in Ceasefire That Was 52 Years in Coming

FARC-government peace took hold at 12:01am

(Newser) - The stroke of 12:01am on Monday brought a nascent peace to Colombia that was more than a half-century in the making . A bloody war between Bogota and the FARC rebels claimed more than 220,000 lives, reports the AP , but "never again will parents be burying their sons...

Peace in Colombia Could Be Trouble for American Partiers

FARC responsible for 60% of cocaine coming to US

(Newser) - Now that Colombia has ended its 52-year war with rebel group FARC, what happens to Americans who like to party? The New York Times reports FARC controls most of Colombia's cocaine network and in 2006 was said to be responsible for 60% of the cocaine shipped to the US....

Deal Will End 52-Year War, but Hurdles Remain
Deal Will End 52-Year War,
but Hurdles Remain
the rundown
Aug 25, 2016 12:03 AM CDT

Deal Will End 52-Year War, but Hurdles Remain

FARC, Colombian government made major announcement Wednesday

(Newser) - Its 52-year span makes it the Americas' "longest-running war," reports the New York Times , and after four years of negotiations, it will come to an end, at least assuming all goes according to plan. Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC, on...

New Envoy to the FARC Peace Talks? Miss Universe

Guerrillas would like to take Paulina Vega up on offer to attend Havana talks

(Newser) - Last month, Miss Colombia Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe . This month, the guerrilla rebels that have been locked in a bloody fight with her nation's government for a half-century said they would like her to sit down at the negotiating table and end the conflict. As Reuters reports,...

US Hostage Released by Colombian Rebels

Kevin Scott Sutay, 26, freed after 4 months

(Newser) - A US hiker being held captive by guerrilla fighters in Colombia has been released, according to a statement by the Cuban and Norwegian governments. The two countries are sponsoring peace talks between the FARC rebel group and the Colombian government, and the release of US military vet Kevin Scott Sutay...

FARC Calls Unilateral Ceasefire
 FARC Calls Unilateral Ceasefire 
Nov 19, 2012 11:18 AM CST

FARC Calls Unilateral Ceasefire

As a sign of goodwill ahead of peace talks

(Newser) - FARC declared a unilateral ceasefire in its ongoing war against the Colombian government as a sign of goodwill ahead of the peace talks that begin today in Cuba. The Marxist rebels have pledged to stop all military operations until Jan. 20, CNN reports. The government hasn't said if it...

Colombian Rebels Free Last Military Hostages, But...

...FARC is believed to still have as many as 700 civilian hostages

(Newser) - Colombia's FARC rebel group has freed what it says are its last 10 military and police captives, all of whom had been held in jungle camps for at least 12 years. The four soldiers and six policemen were handed over to a humanitarian mission by the Marxist rebels. They...

FARC Promises to Free Hostages

Colombian rebel group vows to release 10 security force members

(Newser) - FARC promises to release 10 security force members currently held hostage and says it will stop its practice of kidnapping people for ransom, the BBC reports. The announcement comes three months after the Colombian rebel group murdered four hostages and sparked huge protests across Colombia. The group, which bankrolls itself...

Colombia Kills FARC Leader in Bombing Raid

President hails death of Alfonso Cano as huge blow against rebels

(Newser) - The head of Colombia's FARC rebels was killed in a military bombing yesterday, the latest blow to Latin America's last major rebel group, reports the AP . "The fingerprints matched," said a senior official, calling the raid a "standard military operation." President Juan Manuel Santos...

Colombia Has Been Using US Drones Since 2006
Colombia Has Been Using US Drones Since 2006
WikiLeaks Reveal
Mar 24, 2011 9:37 AM CDT

Colombia Has Been Using US Drones Since 2006

Planes have been used to fight drug traffickers, terrorists

(Newser) - US spy drones have been in the skies over Colombia scouting for drug traffickers and guerrillas since 2006, a newly released State Department cable reveals. The drones were initially sent out to “support hostage rescue efforts,” reads the cable from the then-ambassador to Colombia, “But it promises...

FARC No. 2 Jorge Briceno Killed by Colombian Troops
 Colombia Kills FARC's No. 2 
Sep 23, 2010 2:00 PM CDT

Colombia Kills FARC's No. 2

Many think strike will pull rebels back to talks

(Newser) - Colombia has killed FARC's No. 2 leader and longtime military commander, striking what President Juan Manuel Santos today called "the most crushing blow against the FARC in its entire history"—a 46-year-long struggle. Colombia's military began raining bombs on a major FARC base Monday, followed by ground combat...

Rebel Leader Killed in Colombia

27 die in raid on FARC camp

(Newser) - Guerrilla leader Sixto Cabana was among 27 rebels killed in a raid on a camp near the Ecuadoran border, Colombian officials announced. Cabana, who had been a member of the FARC rebel group for over 25 years, was a senior commander in the organization and was wanted in the US...

Colombia, Venezuela Patch Up Relations

Neighbors had been feuding over rebels, border

(Newser) - Venezuela and Colombia have agreed to kiss and make up after a recent feud that at one point had Hugo Chavez lining the border with troops. Chavez met with newly-minted Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos yesterday to proclaim their newfound friendship. The countries will form joint committees to iron out...

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