"Put Yourself in Our Shoes, Mr. President"

[Judi Lynn]

"Put Yourself in Our Shoes, Mr. President"
Constanza Vieira interviews Colombian rural activist IRENE RAMÍREZ

~snip~
The meeting declared that no military solution is possible in Colombia's decades-old civil war. "We are calling on the parties in the war to sit down to talks – that is what we have been working for," Ramírez said.

The FARC and ELN both sent written and videotaped messages to the meeting, expressing a willingness to engage in peace talks.

Ramírez said she thought it was a good thing that Santos "has told (the guerrillas) at this time that he is willing to think about talks. What we ask ourselves, as an organisation and as campesinos, is: 'is what he is saying true?'"

What former right-wing president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010) did was "imprison campesino activists. (Santos) may talk very openly about things, but we hesitate to give our trust and confidence because of everything we have been through," she said, in response to questions from IPS.

More:
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=104834