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Factbox: Top negotiators in the Colombian peace talks

Reuters Translate This Article
14 October 2012

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government and the FARC guerrilla group will start peace talks this week in Norway, looking to put an end to nearly five decades of war. Here are some details of the top peace negotiators appointed by the Andean country's government and the Marxist-inspired Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATORS

* HUMBERTO DE LA CALLE — The chief government negotiator held the vice presidency under President Ernesto Samper in the mid-1990s and cabinet posts under several former leaders. De la Calle is the head of a successful law practice and was applauded for stepping down as vice president following reports that Samper's campaign was financed by drug money.

* OSCAR NARANJO — A former national police chief (2007-2012), Naranjo is credited with dealing hard blows to drug trafficking cartels. After retiring, he became a security adviser to Mexico's President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto.

* JORGE ENRIQUE MORA — A retired army general and former head of the country's military forces, Mora took part in failed peace negotiations a decade ago.

* FRANK PEARL — He is a former environment minister and former peace commissioner. Pearl took part in the behind-the-scene talks that led to the formal peace process.

* SERGIO JARAMILLO — Until recently he was President Juan Manuel Santos' top security adviser and now is head of the government's peace office.

* LUIS CARLOS VILLEGAS — He is president of the Andi, the Colombian national business chamber.

FARC NEGOTIATORS

* IVAN MARQUEZ — His real name Luciano Marin and he is part of the FARC's seven-member leadership, or secretariat. He is expected to act as the head of the guerrillas' negotiating team.

* ANDRES PARIS — The well-known FARC leader's real name is Jesus Emilio Carvajalino. He is part of its political wing and took part in failed peace talks a decade ago.

* MARCO LEON CALARCA — He is a veteran of two previous peace talks. Calarca, whose real name is Luis Alberto Alban Urbano, lived in Mexico for a few years and handled the FARC's foreign relations from there.

* SIMON TRINIDAD — He currently is in jail in the United States for the kidnapping of three U.S. military contractors in 2008 and it is not clear if he will be allowed to take part in the talks.

* RODRIGO GRANDA — His real name is Ricardo Telles and he is believed to be part of the FARC secretariat. He was arrested in 2004 but freed as part of the negotiations before the liberation of high-profile FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt in 2008.

SOURCES: Reuters, La Semana magazine, El Tiempo and El Pais newspapers

(Reporting by Eduardo Garcia; Editing by Kieran Murray and Bill Trott)

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