Today the European Parliament expressed its support for the Colombian peace process. Members voted on a resolution to welcome the agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and it called on the National Liberation Army (ELN) to commit to peace and to enter into similar negotiations.
S&D MEP Ramón Jáuregui, who is chair of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat) said:
"Humanity has showed that ending a war is much more difficult than starting one, and also that negotiating the end of violence with a terrorist group is much more difficult than fighting violence. This is why we have to congratulate ourselves for this very good news.
"This agreement deserves the support of the European Parliament, because we are probably witnessing the end of more than 50 years of violence in Colombia."
S&D spokesperson on foreign affairs, Richard Howitt, who was an observer of the peace negotiations conducted in Havana due to his experience in the Northern Irish peace process, said:
"Today the suffering continues: in recent weeks a 14 year old girl was killed and two Patriotic March activists have been murdered. We acknowledge the stopping of air strikes by the Government, and the unilateral ceasefire undertaken by the FARC. But further gestures towards peace, including on the treatment of prisoners are still required.
"However, the agreement on victims was a huge achievement of the parties. It was this that persuaded me that the course of peace is now irreversible. It was an agreement which recognised the responsibility of both sides for the conflict, and now their joint responsibility for peace.
"Those who attack the peace process for so-called impunity, should recognise there remains full accountability for war crimes under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, but an agreement for reparations and restorative justice which enables an end to the conflict.
"Regarding the EU fiduciary fund, we want to follow the Northern Ireland model for our support to peace initiatives to be administered independently, with the full participation of both sides and of civil society. We must also assist with security guarantees so a democratic opposition can act free from persecution."