Ivan Marquez

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.

A dissident former leader of the FARC guerrillas was shot dead in Venezuela by other rebels, Colombian media reported on Dec. 5.

Citing Colombian and Venezuelan intelligence sources, several newspapers said Hernan Dario Velasquez, nicknamed "El Paisa" ("The Peasant"), had been ambushed in the state of Apure, on the border with Colombia.

President Juan Manuel Santos declared Colombia's 50-year conflict with FARC guerrillas finally over on Aug. 15, as the last truckloads of decommissioned weapons rolled away to be melted down.

Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels, now negotiating a peace deal in Havana, said on August 2 they hope to meet with Pope Francis on his upcoming Cuba visit.

The Colombian government reached a major de-escalation agreement on July 12 with leftist FARC guerrillas, agreeing for the first time to reduce anti-rebel operations in the decades-long armed conflict, diplomats in Havana said.