Communism in Colombia

After a half-century of combat that spilled blood across this South American nation, Colombians have embarked on a new, but difficult path to settle their political differences with the signing of a historic peace accord between the government and leftist rebels.

Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), freed an ex-governor on April 3 held captive since 2013, in a new boost to peace efforts.

"Pleased by the release of (Choco department) ex governor Patrocinio Sanchez Montes de Oca. Much support to him and family. #welcometofreedom," the Choco governor's office said on Twitter.

The United Nations Security Council on Jan. 25 approved the creation of a U.N. mission of unarmed international observers to monitor disarmament should Colombia's government and leftist FARC rebels reach a deal to end Latin America's longest war.

The Colombian government and FARC rebels will sign a definitive peace deal within six months to end a half-century of conflict, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Sept.23, as the two sides announced a major breakthrough.

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.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on July 25 ordered a halt to air strikes against the Marxist-inspired FARC rebels, giving a major boost to stop-start peace talks.

Dozens of senior Colombian army officers implicated in the killing of 3,000 civilians falsely claimed to be rebels a decade ago have risen through the ranks and are escaping punishment for their roles in one of Latin America's worst atrocities, Human Rights Watch said June 24.

Argentina's legendary ex-footballer Diego Maradona will play in a "pro-peace match" in Bogota this month to support Colombia's ongoing peace process, officials said Sunday.
      
The game will take place on April 10 at Techo stadium in Bogota, and will include other football greats whose names were not immediately released, a statement from the mayor's office said.

The Colombian government and leftist guerrillas on March 7 jointly announced an agreement to remove landmines and other explosives from the battlefield in a sign of progress in their two-year-old peace talks being held in Cuba.
   

Montenegro on Wednesday will extradite two Romanians and an Italian to the US, suspected of conspiring to sell large amounts of weaponry to FARC rebels in Colombia - a movement designated as a terrorist organization.