Colombia suspends peace talks after general's capture

By Richard McColl

BOGOTA, Colombia 

President Juan Manuel Santos suspended peace talks with The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas Sunday night after the rebel group kidnapped a general in western Colombia.

Santos immediately called for, “the suspension of these negotiations” and ordered his negotiating team not to travel to Havana until Gen. Rubén Darío Alzate Mora and the two soldiers accompanying him are freed.

“In addition to the investigations that we are undertaking, what is important is that the FARC, we now know, were those responsible for this kidnapping. A totally unacceptable kidnapping. We have solid information that it was carried out by the FARC and for this reason we charge the FARC with the responsibility of the security of these three people,” Santos said during a press conference Sunday night.

Alzate Mora, commander-in-chief of the Titan Task Force based in the city of Quibdo in Colombia’s westernmost Choco department, was kidnapped by members of the FARC’s 34 Front in the hamlet of Las Mercedes, about 30 minutes outside of the city. 

While Colombia’s Minister of Defence Juan Carlos Pinzon and the head of the Colombian military, Gen. Jaime Lasprilla, traveled to Quibdo on Monday to personally lead the investigation into the kidnapping, questions remain about Gen. Alzate Mora’s movements leading up to his detainment.

“There are a series of circumstances which need to be clarified, which we want to be clarified,” Santos said. “Why was Gen. Alzate dressed in civilian clothing? Why did he tell his bodyguards to not accompany him? Why did he not heed the warning of his boat driver to not go so far downriver into a conflict zone?” the president asked rhetorically.

Members of the FARC negotiating team, currently in Havana, have yet to comment on this kidnapping and have not released a statement. In a gesture of goodwill at the outset of the peace dialogues, which began in November 2012, FARC ordered a cessation of kidnappings. In addition to the general’s kidnapping, along with members of his entourage, FARC rebels kidnapped two soldiers last week in Arauca, on the border with Venezuela. 

Pinzon has ordered a mass mobilization of security forces to the pacific region of Choco to find, recover and rescue the victims. 

“We have made contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross to help guarantee the lives of those kidnapped in Choco,” Pinzon said.

This is the hightest-ranking officer to be kidnapped by the FARC, and Front 34 which carried out the kidnapping, is known to be one of the most active in drug trafficking and shipping cocaine along the pacific coastline with the help of the Usaga criminal gang and across the border into Panama.

There has been no indication if and when the peace dialogues will continue. The latest round set to discuss the issue of the victims of the conflict was due to begin Tuesday.

The two sides have reached agreements on the issues of agrarian reform, illicit drugs and political participation.

President Santos recently completed a tour of Europe drumming up political and financial support for a possible post-conflict agenda in Colombia in the expectation of bringing more than five decades of conflict to an end.

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