The Colombian government and the guerrilla organization Farc have agreed on a ceasefire. Why the victory of the Polish opposition is so important

After months of negotiations, the Colombian government and a splinter group of the former guerrilla organization FARC have agreed to a three-month ceasefire. The army, police and rebels want to refrain from offensive operations against each other until mid-January, representatives of the government and the Farc dissident group Estado Mayor Central said Monday at a meeting in the city of Tibú, near the border with Venezuela. Representatives of the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the Colombian Bishops’ Conference are expected to monitor the ceasefire.

After the peace agreement between Colombia and the left-wing FARC in 2016, Estado Mayor Central split from the then largest rebel group in the country and remained underground. Today the organization is mainly a criminal group involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining and protection fraud.

Colombia suffered a 52-year civil war between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the army. 220,000 people died and millions were displaced. Although the security situation has improved following the peace deal between the government and the FARC, parts of the South American country are still controlled by illegal groups. Peace talks are currently underway with the guerrilla organization ELN. President Gustavo Petro has also invited other criminal gangs, rebels and paramilitaries to negotiate. (sda/dpa)