Government of Colombia and FARC Guerrilla Sign a Peace Agreement
The government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Monday signed a peace agreement in Havana, Cuba.
In August 2011, the top leader of the FARC, Alfonso Cano, said there was a desire for peace by the guerrilla and they were ready for talks aimed to bring an end to the war in Colombia for almost half a century.
In a video released by Anncol and sent to all media, Santos Cano reminded that the president “in his inaugural address, he promised to leave behind the hatred that had characterized the eight years of the previous government.”
“The FARC-EP today want to reiterate that we believe in a political solution, we believe in dialogue, we believe viable central slogan of this event, just consider it, dialogue is the path,” said Cano recording .
In statement issued on 19 April, the FARC reiterated their readiness to begin a dialogue with the government of Juan Manuel Santos and stressed that the talks are not aimed at a surrender.
They stressed that the return to civilian life implies and demands a different Colombia.
The Colombian president meanwhile had claimed last July that “Colombia needs it and deserves peace after so much blood has been spilled. Could you imagine our country in peace?” Stressed the president.
According to a survey published on Thursday for 74.2 percent of the Colombians would support a dialogue with the FARC. The telephone poll of 600 people was carried out in Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla and Bucaramanga.
Turkey Condemns Israeli Move for New Settlements in East Jerusalem
Turkey on Monday condemned Israeli government’s latest move to expand settlement in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, said a Turkish official statement.
“At a time when the international community is mainly focused on developments in Syria, Israel’s insistence on continuing with new settlements that defy the international law constitutes a grave mistake which undermines efforts to revive the peace process and a vision for a two-state solution,” said the statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in response to a new tender launched by the Israeli Housing Ministry for the construction of 130 more housing units.
The statement urged Israel to “fulfill its obligations from the international law and halt all activity that hurts grounds for peace,” saying that the international community should raise a voice against Israel’s settlement policies.
7.3-magnitude Quake Hits off El Salvador Coast, no Damage Reported
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted off the coast of El Salvador late Sunday, triggering a brief tsunami warning along central American coast but causing no major damage or casualties.
The tremor, which struck at 22:37 local time (0437 GMT Monday), was centered at 120 km south of Usulutan, El Salvador, with a depth of 54 km, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) put into effect a tsunami warning for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico.
A small, 10-cm tsunami has been observed at the El Salvador port of Acajutla following the quake, the PTWC said. The warning was canceled later.
No damage to coastal areas or shipping has been reported.