The National Political Council of the FARC party has issued a statement after the first round of the presidential elections in Colombia. 

The second round will be held on 17 June and will see right wing candidate Ivan Duque and centre-left candidate Gustavo Petro running for the presidency. 

The FARC Political Council underlined that “the persistence of human rights violations in different regions of the country, the permanence of criminal structures linked to paramilitarism and drug trafficking directly attacking Peace and social leaderships in these territories are a tragic reality”.

Indeed the FARC pointed out that “the murder of Cristian Bellaizac, Jhon Jairo Ruiz Pillimue and Wilinton Bravo Angulo in separate events that occurred between May 22 and May 26 in the municipalities of Jamundí, Suarez and Buenos Aires in the departments of Valle and Cauca respectively, bring to 24 the number of former guerrillas murdered since the beginning of 2018”

The FARC said that “it is time that all the political forces of the country seriously commit themselves to walk the path of reconciliation and coexistence”. 

The FARC “extend our invitation to Dr. Duque's and Dr. Petro’s campaigns and to all the democratic forces and sectors to unite in that great National Political Pact which will enable us to finally and permanently remove arms from the political arena”.