(24 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Caracas, Venezuela – 24 June 2024
1. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil greeting leaders of Segunda Marquetalia rebel group Walter Mendoza and Ivan Marquez, nom de guerre of Luciano Marin, commander of the rebel group
2. Marquez (man in dark jacket) and Mendoza (man in white shirt) speaking
3. Wide of delegates
4. Various of delgates listening to Colombia’s National Anthem
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ivan Marquez, Segunda Marquetalia commander:
"On behalf of the national leadership of the Second Marquetalia Bolivarian Army, receive our greetings with the deepest desire for peace. Almost five years have passed since the launching of this new insurgency in response to the non-compliance and betrayal of the State to the Havana peace agreement and the judicial entrapment of the brilliant spokesman, guerrilla at the table Jesus Santrich."
6. Wide of delegates
7. Armando Novoa, Colombia’s government delegation chief speaking
8. Novoa speaking at press conference
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Armando Novoa, Colombia’s government delegation chief:
"The Second Marquetalia is renouncing the use of arms in some type of actions that could affect the civilian population, that is what de-escalation consists of. Is the de-escalation a bilateral cease-fire? No. The de-escalation is a unilateral cease-fire? No, neither. It is an unprecedented situation that places us in a different scenario that we have to evaluate. We still do not know how the response of the Colombian State is going to materialize."
10. Various of peace dialogue logo
11. Delegates
12. From left to right: Mendoza, Marquez and Gil listening to Venezuela’s national anthem
STORYLINE:
Colombia launched peace talks with the Second Marquetalia rebel group on Monday as the administration of leftist President Gustavo Petro tries to pacify rural areas of the country.
The talks were announced at a ceremony in Caracas that included government delegates and leaders of the rebel group who signed a 2016 peace deal but later took up arms again as they became disillusioned with the implementation of that deal.
They were accused of committing crimes that violated the peace accords.
The Second Marquetalia group is led by Luciano Marin, who is more commonly known by his nom de guerre of Ivan Marquez.
He is a former FARC commander who was the group’s chief negotiator in the peace talks that led to the disarmament of more than 13,000 rebels fighters.
Delegates of the Colombian government spoke of de-escalation of the conflict as a new innovative procedure they hope brings better results than other cease-fire agreements attempted in the past.
With an estimated 2,000 fighters the Second Marquetalia is one of the nation’s smaller rebel outfits.
The government’s decision to begin peace talks with the group has been criticized by Colombian opposition leaders who have accused Petro of being soft on crime.
AP Video shot by Juan Arraez
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