World News, Travel, & Facts: Colombian Peace Talks Continue Amid Bombings, Attacks
With less than 10 days before the second round of Colombia's presidential election, there has been an attack on an oil pipe as well as an attack on government officials. However, peace negotiators continue arguing for peace.
On Thursday, one of Colombia's two rebel groups, the FARC and ELN, planted a bomb at an oil pipe that detonated and breached the pipe, pouring an unknown amount of crude oil unto the Cristales Brook. According to Europa Press, the pipeline is owned by Colombia's state-run oil company Ecopetrol and is called the Caño Limón-Coveñas Line.
Another bombing in southeast Colombia, according to the AFP, followed Thursday's bombing. Although the first attack did not have any reported casualties, the second one, carried out Friday morning did have two, both soldiers. One was killed and the other one was wounded. FARC is suspected to be behind the attack, which targeted government officials driving through the Levia municipality. The area is considered a "guerrilla zone" but they have no evidence that points to a group or suspect.
The wave of attacks has come at an inopportune time since the country is in the middle of peace talks with the FARC. The talks have been a hot topic during the presidential election, almost turning the election into a referendum. The conservative opponent has vowed that, if FARC does not surrender within a week of his presidency, he will resume the war.
Colombia Reports says that the Organization of American States (OAS) has released a statement unanimously supporting the Colombian peace process.
"[The OAS] expresses its strong support for the efforts advanced by the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos and the Colombian people, accompanied by the international community, to reach a final agreement to end the armed conflict that has affected Colombia for decades," read the statement.
However, the peace process continues to hit road bumps. According to Reuters, one of the members in Colombia's negotiations team has broken with the usual government stance when he called for FARC to surrender all their weapons.
Former General Jorge Enrique Mora demanded the rebel group disarm following a comment by FARC that asked the Colombian military to disarm itself. Although rebel disarmament is part of the peace negotiations, it will not be discussed officially until the fifth round of talks.
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