MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Massive march of Colombia’s political arch in support of the peace process

President Santos promised he would be early morning Tuesday to participate in the march

Colombia’s political arch will take to the streets of Bogotá on Tuesday in support of the current peace process which is taking place between the government and the FARC guerrillas in Havana.

The Catholic Church, the majority coalition of “National Union” which supports the government of President Juan Manuel Santos, the left wing movement Patriotic March and Bogotá city authorities have committed their attendance to the march which for the first time in decades brings together the most different political sectors of the country with the only purpose of achieving peace.

Colombian president Santos, his chief negotiator in Havana Humberto de la Calle have invited and encouraged citizens to take to the streets and participate in the April 9 ‘National Memory Day and of Solidarity with the Victims’ of decades of violence.

“On Tuesday we’ll march, I myself will be there early morning to be next to the victims, to reject violence and support the peace process in Havana” said Santos on confirming his attendance of the march in Bogotá next to the mayor or the city Gustavo Petro a former member of the guerrilla group M-19.

However there is a sector from the hard right which has decided to remain absent from the event since it argues that the initiative only pays homage to the guerrilla.

The group is led by the Pure Democratic Centre a political movement headed by former President Alvaro Uribe (2002/2010) who in a recent release refused to attend since it is “in support not of the victims but of the killers” which according to that argument the FARC guerrillas that want legitimacy, and are taking advantage of the march.

It even went further and speculated that FARC, the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, are behind the organization of the initiative since it has its origin in the Patriotic March, which is believed to be closely linked to FARC.

However one of the spoke-persons for the group, former Liberal Senator Piedad Cordoba denied the claims and said that FARC has nothing to do with the imitative or its financing and underlined that the attendance of President Santos is evidence of the plurality of the march.

But Colombia’s Attorney General Alejandro Ordoñez, from the Conservative party said that he is currently out of the country but nevertheless would not support the march. Likewise the Alternative Democratic Pole, the only party that does not belong to the National Unity ruling alliance considers inconvenient for its role in the opposition “to be seen next to President Santos”.