Representatives of the Colombian government and the FARC guerilla group announced on Nov. 6 in Havana that they had reached an agreement that could allow FARC leaders to participate in Colombian politics. The precise details of the agreement have not been disclosed, and the two sides have agreed that it would not go into effect until a final peace settlement has been reached.
Nevertheless, according to Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America, the peace process is moving along reasonably well, and the two sides both may have “gotten past the point of no return” toward reaching a final agreement, potentially by the end of next year.
The talks, which have been ongoing for over a year, revolve around six points. With the issues of land reform and political participation now out of the way, the two sides must still discuss drug policy, compensation of victims, an end to hostilities and the political implementation of a final agreement.