A former commander in the Farc rebel group in Colombia, Iván Márquez, has called on his followers to take up arms less than three years after the rebels signed a peace agreement with the government.
Iván Márquez appeared in a video in army fatigues and carrying a gun.
He announced that a “new phase of the armed struggle” was beginning.
He was one of the main negotiators of the peace deal and his announcement is a heavy blow to the peace process.
What does the video show?
It shows Iván Márquez reading out a statement in front of a banner saying “While there is a will to fight, there'll be hope of winning”.
He is surrounded by about a dozen men and women dressed in camouflage. Among them are two other senior former Farc rebels, Jesús Santrich, and the man known as El Paisa.
In his 30-minute-long statement, Iván Márquez says that he called for a return to arms because the Colombian state had “betrayed” the peace agreement he helped negotiate.
“In two years, more than 500 social leaders have been killed and 150 guerrilla fighters are dead amidst the indifference and the indolence of the state,” he says referring to the high number of activists and former Farc members killed since President Iván Duque took up office.
In the recording, Iván Márquez also says that the new guerrilla group, which carries the old name, Farc-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of colombia – People's Army), will pursue different tactics.
He says that group will…
