UN Chief: Ex-FARC Rebels Need More Economic Opportunities

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Bogotá, Colombia, as part of a two-day trip to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Final Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group.

While visiting the province of Antioquia with Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez, the UN Secretary-General called for enhanced effort in expanding economic opportunities for former FARC rebels.

"We must redouble efforts to guarantee the sustainability of these projects, with financial and technical support, and land and housing," he said while touring a reintegration camp in the province, as reported by Reuters.

Some 13,000 FARC members were demobilized following the signing of the Final Peace Agreement in 2016.

The agreement also led to the halting of FARC's role in Colombia's long-term internal conflict, which led to the displacement of more than 1 million people and caused some 260,000 deaths.

Guterres also spoke out in support of the indigenous communities of Colombia, declaring that the UN stands with them "in the face of the violence that continues to affect their lives, their customs and their ancestral territories."

The secretary-general's remarks come alongside reports that US President Joe Biden's administration intends to remove FARC from its list of terrorist organizations.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price did not confirm the intent to remove FARC from the list, but did tell reporters on Tuesday that the administration was in talks with Congress regarding forthcoming actions with FARC.