Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

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US Just Indicted a Foreign President
US Just Indicted
a Foreign President

US Just Indicted a Foreign President

Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro accused of flooding US with cocaine

(Newser) - US prosecutors have indicted Venezuela's president and other senior government officials on charges of drug trafficking, claiming a "narco-terrorism conspiracy." The unusual move against Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan government, intelligence officials, and members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia stems from a federal investigation in Washington,...

Latin America's Longest Conflict Steps Toward Its End

Colombia's FARC guerrillas lay down nearly all arms, declare end to insurgency

(Newser) - Colombia reached a major milestone on its road to peace Tuesday as leftist rebels gave up some of their last weapons and declared an end to their half-century insurgency. The historic step was taken as President Juan Manuel Santos traveled to a demobilization camp in Colombia's eastern jungles to...

Peace Laureate: Nobel Was 'Gift From Heaven'

Colombia's Santos says it gave him the momentum to close crumbling peace deal with FARC

(Newser) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, saying it gave a boost to the "impossible dream" of ending his country's half-century-long civil war. In his acceptance speech, Santos described the award as a "gift from heaven" and dedicated it to all Colombians,...

Voters Deal Shocking Blow to Colombia's FARC Peace Deal

They narrowly rejected accord to end 52-year war

(Newser) - Voters rejected a peace deal with leftist rebels by a razor-thin margin in a national referendum Sunday, delivering a major setback to President Juan Manuel Santos, who vowed to keep a ceasefire in place and not give up his campaign to end a half-century of war, the AP reports. With...

Colombia, FARC Sign Historic Peace Deal

Thousands cheer

(Newser) - Colombia's government and the country's largest rebel movement signed a historic peace accord Monday evening ending a half-century of combat that caused more than 220,000 deaths and made 8 million homeless, the AP reports. Underlining the importance of the deal, President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono,...

Colombia Ushers in Ceasefire That Was 52 Years in Coming

FARC-government peace took hold at 12:01am

(Newser) - The stroke of 12:01am on Monday brought a nascent peace to Colombia that was more than a half-century in the making . A bloody war between Bogota and the FARC rebels claimed more than 220,000 lives, reports the AP , but "never again will parents be burying their sons...

Deal Will End 52-Year War, but Hurdles Remain
Deal Will End 52-Year War,
but Hurdles Remain
the rundown

Deal Will End 52-Year War, but Hurdles Remain

FARC, Colombian government made major announcement Wednesday

(Newser) - Its 52-year span makes it the Americas' "longest-running war," reports the New York Times , and after four years of negotiations, it will come to an end, at least assuming all goes according to plan. Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC, on...

This Handshake Could End 50 Years of Bloodshed

Colombia's president, rebel group set deadline for peace agreement

(Newser) - President Juan Manuel Santos and leaders of Colombia's largest rebel group vowed to end Latin America's longest-running armed conflict in the coming months after a breakthrough in talks put the country closer to peace that it has been in half a century. Speaking in Havana, the site of...

Santos Wins 'Dirty Election' in Colombia

Challenger accused him of selling out nation in FARC talks

(Newser) - Juan Manuel Santos convincingly won re-election today after Colombia's tightest presidential contest in years, an endorsement of his 18-month-old peace talks to end the Western Hemisphere's longest-running conflict. Santos defeated right-wing challenger Oscar Ivan Zuluaga with 53%-to-47% of valid votes with 99.7% of precincts reporting. Zuluaga was...

FARC Calls Unilateral Ceasefire
 FARC Calls Unilateral Ceasefire 

FARC Calls Unilateral Ceasefire

As a sign of goodwill ahead of peace talks

(Newser) - FARC declared a unilateral ceasefire in its ongoing war against the Colombian government as a sign of goodwill ahead of the peace talks that begin today in Cuba. The Marxist rebels have pledged to stop all military operations until Jan. 20, CNN reports. The government hasn't said if it...

Colombia Kills FARC Leader in Bombing Raid

President hails death of Alfonso Cano as huge blow against rebels

(Newser) - The head of Colombia's FARC rebels was killed in a military bombing yesterday, the latest blow to Latin America's last major rebel group, reports the AP . "The fingerprints matched," said a senior official, calling the raid a "standard military operation." President Juan Manuel Santos...

Colombia Has Been Using US Drones Since 2006
Colombia Has Been Using US Drones Since 2006
WikiLeaks Reveal

Colombia Has Been Using US Drones Since 2006

Planes have been used to fight drug traffickers, terrorists

(Newser) - US spy drones have been in the skies over Colombia scouting for drug traffickers and guerrillas since 2006, a newly released State Department cable reveals. The drones were initially sent out to “support hostage rescue efforts,” reads the cable from the then-ambassador to Colombia, “But it promises...

FARC No. 2 Jorge Briceno Killed by Colombian Troops
 Colombia Kills FARC's No. 2 

Colombia Kills FARC's No. 2

Many think strike will pull rebels back to talks

(Newser) - Colombia has killed FARC's No. 2 leader and longtime military commander, striking what President Juan Manuel Santos today called "the most crushing blow against the FARC in its entire history"—a 46-year-long struggle. Colombia's military began raining bombs on a major FARC base Monday, followed by ground combat...

3 FARC Hostages Rescued in Colombian Raid

(Newser) - Colombian security forces have rescued two senior police officers and a soldier who had been held hostage by Marxist rebels for almost 12 years. Gen. Luis Mendieta, Col. Enrique Murillo and Sgt. Arbey Delgado were freed from a guerrilla camp in Guaviare in a raid by some 300 troops. Patrols...

Colombian Rebels Free Soldier Held for 12 Years

Man reunited with family after ordeal among Colombian rebels

(Newser) - A Colombian soldier held hostage for more than 12 years was freed by rebels yesterday and reunited with his family, ending an ordeal that prompted his father to hike halfway across the country wearing a symbolic chain around his neck to press for his son's release. Sgt. Pablo Emilio Moncayo...

Colombian Rebels Kill Governor

Kidnap victim Cuellar found with throat cut

(Newser) - A Colombian provincial governor snatched from his home Monday has been found dumped dead on a country road. Police believe leftist guerrillas cut Luis Francisco Cuellar's throat as they fled from security forces. Rebels dressed in military uniforms killed one policeman and wounded two others when they seized Cuellar from...

Venezuela Arming FARC Rebels: Stolen Emails

(Newser) - Despite frequent denials by President Hugo Chavez, it seems Venezuela is still arming Colombian rebels on the sly, the New York Times reports. Computer files captured from FARC rebels reveal Venezuela's efforts to get them missiles, sniper rifles, radios, and Venezuelan identity cards. This after Chavez froze relations with Colombia...

FARC Captive Recalls Horror of Jungle Birth

Rojas gave birth in captivity, then had son taken away

(Newser) - Clara Rojas was one of many prisoners who endured the misery of the Colombian jungle during her 6 years as a hostage of the FARC. But in 2003 her ordeal became almost unbearable: She discovered she was pregnant by one of her captors. "I knew I could die,"...

Betancourt Back in Colombia for Anti-FARC Tour

Ex-hostage aims to disarm rebels; some see only her ambition

(Newser) - Former FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt returned to Colombia yesterday to kick off a tour aimed at getting the rebels to disarm, AFP reports. "I am so very happy to be here," said Betancourt, who has received death threats from FARC and will keep her Colombia visit brief. She...

Betancourt: Pope, Faith Saved Me
Betancourt: Pope, Faith Saved Me

Betancourt: Pope, Faith Saved Me

Ex-hostage thanks pontiff for support during 7-year captivity

(Newser) - Ingrid Betancourt realized her dreams today when she met privately with Pope Benedict, Reuters reports. The freed French-Colombian hostage says she was overcome with emotion after hearing the pope appeal for her release on the radio during her 7 years in captivity. The 46-year-old Catholic had never read the Bible—...

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