The parties committed this Monday to advance in the peace talks after officially setting up the talks table in Tibú, north of Santander. They agreed that the bilateral and temporary national ceasefire, monitoring and verification included, will be in effect for three months, from October 17th, 00:00 am, until January 15th, 2024, with the possibility of extension.

“Consequently, the suspension of offensive military operations and special operations of the National Police against the members of the Central General Staff of the FARC-EP is ordered,” says Decree 1684 signed by President Gustavo Petro.

The High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda, said that “this is an agreement for the respect of the civilian population and the implementation of the bilateral, temporary, national ceasefire with territorial impact between the Government and the EMC-FARC.”

The main objectives of the agreement includes, respect for life in all its forms, the rights and freedoms of the civilian population, the territory and the environment, particularly of the groups with special constitutional protection, including the signatories of the Peace Agreements; avoiding harm to the civilian population and its protected property; promoting pedagogy and the participation of the population, communities and organizations in full freedom; facilitating the operating conditions of the dialogue table, and creating the conditions for compliance with the agreements, and the free development of the territorial elections on October 29th and respect for their results.

The decree establishes that the Public Force “will not suspend any of the actions it carries out against illegal economies, and will continue to fulfill its legal and constitutional mission” of preserving the integrity of the territory, guaranteeing order and ensuring respect for rights and public freedoms.

“We cannot send a coherent message of peace to the world if we kill each other,” President Petro said shortly before the installation of the dialogue table.

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