Peace on the Table: EPL

Peace on the Table: EPL
Peace on the Table
a summary of demands and proposals for peace from the various actors in the Peace Process

EJÉRCITO POPULAR DE LIBERACIÓN - EPL (THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY)

I. PROPOSALS FOR THE NEGOTIATED POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT
A. Vision of the Conflict
B. Lines of Action

II. PROPOSALS REGARDING THE ESSENTIAL TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED ON THE NEGOTIATION AGENDA
A. Topics
1. Sovereignty
2. Democracy
3. Justice
4. The Armed Forces
5. Satisfaction of the Aspirations of the Majority of the Population
B. Proposals

EJÉRCITO POPULAR DE LIBERACIÓN - EPL (THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY)

I. PROPOSALS FOR THE NEGOTIATED POLITICAL SETTLEMENT
OF THE INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT

A. Vision of the Conflict

"1. The revolutionary armed movement is part of the society and represents the interests and aspirations of important sectors within the society.

2. Some of the most outstanding aspects currently in Colombia are that the State is undergoing a severe crisis and social injustice has greatly worsened.

3. To solve the serious problems that our country now faces, we are forced to seek out and find the true causes of such problems so as to act upon them.

4. We will be able to terminate the violence once we have eradicated the causes that generate and nourish it.

5. The State's violent or repressive response to the various conflicts only tends to complicate them and goes against a political solution.

6. The insurgent movement has viable proposals and projects that can contribute to finding and carrying out the solution that we are seeking". ⁴⁹

^{B.
Lines of Action}

^{"
It is necessary to work toward a solid total political solution. Based
on this criterion, the EPL proposes to carry out the following action
plan in an interactive fashion:}

^{1.
To carry out negotiations between the Colombian State and the Coordinadora
Guerillera Simón Bolívar (Simón Bolívar Guerrilla Movement Coordinating
Body) a reality;}

^{2.
To create spaces for the broad participation of the diverse political
and social sectors;}

^{3.
To seek a political agreement of great breadth with the participation
of the Simón Bolívar Guerrilla Movement Coordinating Body;}

^{4.
To seek agreements with the communication media regarding the dissemination
of issues related to the negotiation process, emphasizing the objectivity
of such information;}

^{5.
To promote and establish international support". ⁵⁰}

^{6.
"For the EPL to espouse the provisions in International Humanitarian
Law that apply to the specific conditions in this country". ⁵¹}

^{II.
PROPOSALS REGARDING THE ESSENTIAL TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED ON THE NEGOTIATION
AGENDA}

^{A.
Topics}

^{"The
EPL considers that the negotiation agenda should give priority to the
following issues:}

^{·
SOVEREIGNTY

· DEMOCRACY

· JUSTICE

· THE ARMED FORCES

· SATISFACTION OF THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION⁵²}

^{B.
Proposals}

^{"1.
To work toward forming a new Government truly committed to building a
new Colombia.}

^{2.
To unite a political movement which will fight for a new Government whose
program will be based on the following axes: sovereignty, democratic change,
and well-being for its majorities, and that will be seriously committed
to peace-building with social justice. The contents of this program must
be complemented by the contributions of the majority political and social
sectors.}

^{3.
To count on the active participation of the revolutionary, democratic
and progressive forces, of the Church, of the people's organizations,
of political parties and movements, to ensure that the program is carried
out.}

^{4.
On one hand, to continue in the immediate future our combat, against State
militarization, against the public legislation that uses veiled prosecutors
and judges, and also against the paramilitary and private self-defense
groups which must be dismantled. On the other hand, to continue our fight
for the respect and defense of human rights, and for the people's social
and economic claims to be attended". ⁵³}