Colombia’s rebel FARC group announced on Monday, July 24 it will launch a political party, less than a month after disarming as part of a peace treaty with the government.
“On September 1, we will publicly launch the party in the Plaza de Bolívar [in Bogotá],” guerrilla commander Carlos Antonio Lozada, told AFP.
Lozada, whose real name is Julián Gallo, said leaders are working on proposals for their political platform, which includes economics, the environment, and policies focused on the youth.
Chief negotiator Ivan Marquez said the group made a peace deal to be able to participate in politics.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – better known as the FARC – battled the government for more than 50 years before a deal was made in November.
During this time, more than 220,000 people were killed and the UN Refugee Agency says nearly 7 million Colombians were internally displaced.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his part in the historic deal with the FARC.
