Colombia rebel group agrees to 'unilateral ceasefire'

A Colombian splinter group of former FARC guerrillas known as Segunda Marquetalia has agreed to a "unilateral ceasefire" and the release of captives following negotiations with the government, according to a joint statement Saturday.

The talks, held this week in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, are the latest attempt by Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro to end six decades of conflict between the government and rebel groups.

As part of the ceasefire deal, Segunda Marquetalia committed to the "delivery of the people they are holding", according to a document signed by chief government negotiator Armando Novoa and rebel representative Walter Mendoza.

"The full implementation of de-escalation will begin as soon as the presidential decree on offensive military operations comes into force," said the text seen by AFP, without specifying a date.

A meeting in Tumaco, in western Colombia, will be held between the two parties "no later than July 20" to present the "de-escalation" agreement and to define a timetable for identifying social and economic projects.

The accord follows days of negotiations in Caracas, where seven delegates from each side began talks Monday.

Segunda Marquetalia is a rebel group that broke away from a historic 2016 ceasefire deal with FARC guerillas.

Those present at the Caracas talks include the rebels' leader known under the alias Ivan Marquez, who was thought to be dead until he reappeared in a video in May.

Marquez — whose real name is Luciano Marin — was the chief FARC negotiator for the 2016 deal, returned to civilian life and was elected a senator, before launching a new rebellion in 2019.

But at the opening of the Caracas talks, he said that he was "fully willing to...