The FARC delivered a batch of rifles, guns, grenade launchers and rocket launchers to the UN mission in Colombia, in compliance with the second phase of the disarmament process envisaged in the peace pact signed by guerrillas and the government.
It is a very important step to abandon weapons,”
said President Juan Manuel Santos in celebrating the delivery of part of the second 30% of the guerrilla arsenal in a symbolic act in La Cavi department, southwestern department of Cauca, to which he could not arrive due to the climatic conditions.
Neither the former president of Uruguay José Mujica, nor former head of the Spanish government Felipe González, were able to participate in the event, so they followed and celebrated with Santos the symbolic delivery from the nearby city of Cali.
The disarmament, fully executed so far, is only one of the mutual commitments to fulfill,”
said guerrilla commander Pablo Catatumbo in La Elvira, one of the country’s 26 points where about 7,000 guerrillas are concentrated.
This procedure will be repeated in other parts of the country between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The main and oldest guerrilla of the continent had to complete the disarmament process on May 31st, according to the peace agreement signed in November, but it was postponed due to logistical problems and should now end on June 20th.
According to the peace agreement, the FARC’s armament will be used to create three monuments: in New York, in Cuba -headquarters of the negotiations- and in Colombia.