Colombia's government and its largest guerrilla group FRAC have broken off peace talks without reaching an agreement.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) abandoned negotiations in their second and final scheduled day after the two sides reached an impasse over the issue of military patrols on the perimeter of the rebels’ haven where the talks were taking place.
Government peace commissioner Mr Camilo Gomez said FARC negotiators left the table for consultations. He expressed hope that the FARC and the government would resume talks either within days.
The FARC, Colombia's largest guerrilla group, had sought a decrease in military presence around the Switzerland-sized area but was rebuffed publicly by the commander of the armed forces.
Mr Gomez backed up the military's decision, saying that the patrols on the periphery of the zone under FARC control were not negotiable.
President Andres Pastrana announced the stepped-up patrols around the zone in the south of Colombia on October 7th, shortly before the previous round of talks ended. The Pastrana administration has tried unsuccessfully for four years to negotiate peace with the Marxist 16,500-man FARC, which has been fighting for over three decades.
AFP