Colombia’s government has agreed to a cease-fire with guerrilla factions and paramilitary groups as the nation seeks to start peace negotiations, President Gustavo Petro said.
The agreement includes talks with National Liberation Army rebels and former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents who didn’t demobilize during the peace deal signed in 2016, Petro said in a tweet on New Year’s eve.
“Total peace will be a reality,” Petro said, adding that the truce will last until June 30, which can be extended depending on how negotiations develop. “This is a bold act. The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the state to respect it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism”
Petro, a former rebel, was elected in 2022 as the first left-wing leader in the country.
