In a press release read on Friday at the negotiations table in Havana the FARC-EP has announced a "pause" in the talks.

In their statement the FARC says that "From the beginning of the peace process with the government of Colombia in Havana, our primary concern has been to open the doors to people's participation for the construction of a democratic peace agreement with social justice.

On this, and because of the importance for the country and for the future of our country of the issue of the resolution of the social and armed conflict, starting from the establishment of social justice, democracy and sovereignty, in a responsible and well-considered way, the FARC-EP proposed convening a National Constituent Assembly so that the sovereign people can decide on the crucial issues of political, economic and social development of all Colombians".

The FARC also said that "the Constituent Assembly, convened under the auspices of a large national political agreement would be the way to achieve a real peace treaty, just and binding, which could melt our reconciliation, govern the fate of the nation and lead it towards the summits of real democracy.

In contrast, the government yesterday announced to the country its decision to appeal to the referendum as a mechanism for countersignature, without mentioning at all the procedures of democratic construction which would endorse it".

Under these new circumstances, the FARC underlined that "at a moment in which from all the corners of Colombia you can hear the outcry of unsatisfied people, protesting against the consequences of a disastrous economic policy, behind the back of  the interests of the great majority of citizens and which requires their participation in the decision-making of major national issues, the Peace Delegation of the FARC-EP has decided to pause the discussion of the Table, to focus exclusively on the analysis of the government's proposal, without detriment to the internal consultation we have to carry out as organization".

The statement ends by reassuring the FARC "will use this time also to listen to points-of-views, which will surely arise among the people in the fervor of political and social struggle that makes Colombia shudder today.
Colombia's peace is everybody's business".

The press release can be found on the FARC-EP Peace Delegation website, here