Supporting Negotiations With The FARC

Sometimes, good policy just means not overreacting. Here is the State Department response to the deadly FARC attack.

The United States government offers condolences to the families of the eleven Colombian soldiers killed and the 20 soldiers wounded in Cauca on April 15. We reaffirm our continuing support to the government of Colombia in its efforts to end the nation’s 50 year conflict.

We condemn the brutal attack in Cauca orchestrated by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The offensive was in direct violation of the unilateral ceasefire they committed to last December. We support President Santos’ decision to continue negotiations but also lift his halt of aerial bombardment of FARC.

It is our sincere hope that negotiators reach an accord soon to bring peace to all Colombians.

When you read about the U.S. being disengaged, isolated, etc. then remember this. Negotiating the end to a long-term insurgency is delicate and difficult. This is a setback but we have no idea why it happened. The proper course is to keep the negotiations going.

Remember this too when you read about the U.S. supposedly turning its back on allies. This is difficult for the Juan Manuel Santos, who faces intense domestic criticism from the right, and the Obama administration is backing him.