2002
January 4-5: New meetings in El Caguán between the government and Farc representatives to try to restart the peace process, at a stalemate for months. Farc is demanding the government to stop all controls around the demilitarized zone and the government demands the group to comply to the San Francisco Agreements, where Farc committed to discuss the cease-fire, the cease of hostilities, the ending of kidnapping and attacks against civilians, towns and the infrastructure.
January 8: The talks did not advance and Pastrana was ready to walk out since it could not make another step in exchange of nothing. Farc continued to demand the end of all controls and did not show any sign to comply to the San Francisco Agreement. The High Commissioner was to remain another day in El Caguán trying to persuade the guerrilla to understand the crisis and the need to implement concrete agreements. Camilo Gómez announced the guerrilla that the government was ready to walk out. The guerrilla asked to continue the discussions the next day.
January 9: Concerned with the crisis, James Lemoyne, UNSG special representative, met with Pastrana and offered his good offices, together with the group of friends (10 countries: Canada, Cuba, France, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Venezuela) to talk to the guerrilla trying to prevent the break up of the negotiations. The government delegates Camilo Gómez and Juan Gabriel Uribe, presented a draft to Farc, allowing them to declare in permament session until January 20, day to decide about another extension. However, Farc insisted on the end of all controls outside the demilitarized zone. In the afternoon, following the president´s order, Camilo Gómez, announced the end of the process and Pastrana prepared his statement to be delivered in the evening. In the evening, Raúl Reyes, Farc spokesperson, affirmed that they continued in the negotiations and were waiting until January 20 for more presidential communiqués indicating the future of the process. Farc´s unwillingness to publicly state that El Caguán had guarantees and its position against the controls, created difficulties for the government to make more concessions. 10pm, the President spoke to the nation explaining the crisis and the end of the negotiations. He gave a 48 hours period in which the international community -Lemoyne and group of friends - was going to try to convince the guerrilla to talk about issues towards concrete agreements. After this initial 48 hours, another 48 hours were given to Farc in order to leave the demilitarized zone before the military forces entered the municipalities granted to Farc in 1998. Pastrana agreed with Marulanda at the beginning of the process to give this 48 hours.
January 10-11: Lemoyne and the group of friends entered in contact with the Farc representatives and arrived to El Caguán. No advance whasoever in this 48 hours, in which Pastrana was once again, ready to visit Marulanda if he agreed for a meeting. Proposal that was not considered by Farc representatives.
January 13: Camilo Gómez agreed with ELN members in Havana, to have a meeting in January 20-21 to discuss specific issues towards a peace process. Jan -10-13 meeting in Cuba was also attended by the group of friends: Cuba, Spain, France, Norway and Switzerland. However, in the evening, the ELN announced that it will condition any new encounter to the visit of international organization to Catatumbo, Santander, to verify human rights violations. The calendar agreed upon in Havana is once again useless.
January 12-14: Lemoyne and the group of friends continued their efforts in the last 48 hours given by Pastrana, knowing that January 14 at 9:30 p.m. the military forces would regain control of the demilitarized zone, after three years, if no agreement is reached. Media sources indicated that more war could be expected, although the war has radically intensified during these past three years of peace process. In general, public opinion was inclined to put and end to the process as it was, since not a single progress has been made in three years of negotiation. A new beginning seemed necessary. Jan. 14: Camilo Gómez, Peace Commissioner, arrived to San Vicente del Caguán to reassure the population about its security concern if the process is put to an end. In the late afternoon, in Los Pozos, the French Ambassador, Daniel Perfait, representing the group of friends, read a communiqué indicating that the peace process would continue, since the guerrilla accepted to discuss a new calendar that would include issues such as cease of fire and hostilities, kidnapping and attacks against civilians. Before Jan. 20, the parties should present a detailed agenda aimed at reaching concrete agreements.
January 20: At 20:00 hours, Farc and government representantives read "Los Pozos Agreement" that allowed the President to extend the demilitarized zone until April 10. The cease-fire will not be discussed until April 7. Issues such as kidnapping, "miraculous fishing trips" (pescas milagrosas) and paramilitary will also be discussed. Farc agreed to advise the different fronts to put and end to the "Fishing trips". Los Pozos invited political candidates to contribute to the peace process and meet with Farc in El Caguán. The facilitators will continue their work and good offices services. Future tasks: January 23-February 8: discussions about the document presented by the Committee of Personalities (Comisión de Notables). February 2: drafts about conflict decreasing. February 6: definition of the international community participation. February 13: Meeting with political parties and movements. February 14: Meeting with presidential candidates. February 15: Meeting with the National Peace Council. February 20: study of different proposals about the cease-fire and cease of hostilities. April 7: signature of possible agreements about the cease-fire and of hostilities. 12 hours after Los Pozos Agreement, Farc attacked the nations infrastructure and civil population.
January 29-30: Meeting in Havana, Cuba, between the government, the ELN spokepersons, "Felipe Tórres", "Francisco Galán" and "Ramiro Vargas", and some representatives from the business community and the church. Different issues were discussed trying to start a peace process with this guerrilla movement. Parties agreed to set a committee to start talks about a time-table to discuss issues such as cease-fire and paramilitary. This committee will only make recommendations, if both parties manage to agree on any issue. This is not even the beginning of formal talks, it is just a preambule, that will assess if conditions exist to allow for the parties to initiate a peace process before the end of this administration (August 2002)
February 8: Facilitation in the negotiation process with Farc-Ep accepted by this organization. The Church, the UNSG representative and the 10-member group of friends will accompany the negotiations. The UNSG delegate, James Lemoyne, the Church Delegate and two delegates from the group of friends may be present at the talks.
February 14: While deliberations about the cease-fire are going on in El Caguán, three presidential candidates met with Farc representatives. Horacio Serpa, Ingrid Betancur and Luis Eduardo Garzón exchanged views with the guerrilla. The cease-fire deliberations, due April 7, according with January`s agreement, could be difficult to set, since both parties have different understandings of the matter. Farc asks the government results in social and economic policies and in the fight against tha paramilitary. The talks will continue during these following weeks.
February 20: Doomsday for the peace process with Farc. After the kidnapping of an airplane aiming at takind hostage the President of the Senate´s Peace Commission, Eduardo Gechen Turbay, the government firmly declared the end of the demilitarized zone and of the peace process. The process could not resist one more terrorist attack, since it had had thousands since 1998, when the talks began.
February 22-25: Camilo Gómez in Cuba trying to bring the ELN into concrete agreements toward peace negotiations, specially now that the process with Farc ended. So far, unsuccessful.
May: After months of steps forward and backwards came the end of contacts between President Pastrana´s government and the ELN.
