The association of Colombia's retired military commanders, a powerful lobby, said Monday it supports peace talks with the FARC under a number of conditions that include the banning of a leftist political movement and legal privileges for members of the military.
In a ten-point manifesto, Jaime Ruiz, director of the Association of Retired Military Officers (ACORE), pointed out that his organization does support peace talks, but under strict conditions that would guarantee legal privileges for members of the military, no military budget cuts and the permanent presence of members of the military at the negotiation tables.
Additionally, the retired officials demand a temporary ban on one of Colombia's largest leftist political movements and the guarantee former rebels will not be able to take part in the country's politics.