Colombia, rebels to begin peace talks soon: source

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government will soon begin talks that could lead to formal negotiations for peace with the country's biggest guerrilla group, known as the FARC, according to a Colombian intelligence source.

As part of the deal to hold talks, the government has agreed that leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia would not be extradited to another country to stand trial, he said.

One aide at President Juan Manuel Santos' office has flatly denied that any talks are taking place, but a second aide said only that any official word on peace dealings would come from Santos himself.

Details of the accord are still being worked out, but the negotiations could take place in Cuba or in Norway, the source said.

U.S. President Barack Obama is aware of the process and is in agreement, the source told Reuters.

News of the peace talks is likely to anger Santos' predecessor Alvaro Uribe who has criticized any idea of talks with the rebels and has slammed Santos for wanting "peace at any cost."

The FARC, which calls itself "the people's army" defending peasant rights, has battled about a dozen administrations since appearing in 1964, when its founder Manuel Marulanda and 48 rebels fought off thousands of troops in jungle hide-outs.

The group has faced its toughest defeats in recent years as U.S.-trained special forces use sophisticated technology and spy networks to track the leaders.

The FARC's string of defeats began in 2008 with a cross-border military raid into Ecuador that killed Raul Reyes, its second in command. Marulanda died of a heart attack weeks later and was replaced by Alfonso Cano, who was later killed too.

The drug-funded group is led by Timoleon Jimenez, known by his war alias "Timochenko."

(Reporting by Helen Murphy; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colombia-rebels-begin-peace-talks-soon-source-181341277.html

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