From Bucaramanga, the president of the national board of ex-combatienes of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) announced that they support the peace processes carried out by the National Government with the armed groups, however they called President Gustavo Petro’s attention to to comply with what was agreed in the peace process.
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Jaime Andrés Arias, president of the board, assured that after Easter They will issue a statement to provide public opinion with the position of the top ex-commanders.
“Between April 10 and 11 we will announce our position. We support the government but we demand that the president attend the national meeting that we will hold on May 6,” Arias said.
According to what they stated, the appointment will be scheduled for 10 in the morning in the closed Coliseum of Puerto Boyacá, in Boyacá, within a month.
“We will be approximately 2,500 ex-combatants. Headed by the top ex-commanders who signed the Ralit agreementoday the negotiators of the agreements in Havana with the FARC will also be invited,” he said.
The demobilization carried out in Ralito was a process that has not been fully complied with by the National Government, as they pointed out, for which reason they hope that the President in office will begin to comply with these agreements. Many of the rights of the demobilized have not yet been restored, such as the civil, social, cultural and political benefits.
“They have to restore these rights because having participated in a peace agreement and a demobilization that was the benefit they had,” added the ex-combatant.
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As a national table, they expressed that they seek to be a negotiating bridge so that the armed groups that continue to operate illegally today “settle down”, in addition to believing in the Government to have total peace and accept demobilization.
