might over ASEAN nations. Four members of the group have claims that compete with Chinese assertions.
Latin America The Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels clashed on Monday over how to incorporate Latin America ' s oldest guerrilla movement into the democratic process, as they began the latest round of peace talks in Havana. The FARC reiterated its demand that Colombia ' s 2014 general election be postponed a year in favor of a constituent assembly to chart the country ' s political future. The government has repeatedly rejected the proposal and insisted a peace agreement must be reached by the end of 2013. Former vice president and lead government negotiator, Humberto de la Calle quickly dismissed the FARC proposal before Monday ' s talks began. In May, after six months of negotiations facilitated by Cuba and Norway, the two sides reached a historic agreement on agricultural reform that calls for developing rural areas and providing land to the people living there. But they remain at loggerheads over the second item on their six-point agenda: turning the FARC from insurgents into political participants. The talks recess every few weeks, then resume, even as the conflict rages on. Rebels blew up an oil pipeline and the government sentenced their leader and FARC ' s chief negotiator to long prison terms on various charges during the most recent break in negotiations. The negotiator remains in Cuba with temporary immunity. Other unresolved issues include the drug trade, compensation for victims and implementation of the final accord.
Colombia ' s FARC rebels called on Tuesday for the government to broaden peace talks to include its smaller counterpart known as the ELN, a day after the two groups announced they would work more closely together. The government has said it was willing to talk with the ELN, or National Liberation Army, but separately from the FARC. " We are talking about involving them in the dialogue and that they become part of the discussions," said Pablo Catatumbo, one of the FARC negotiators at the talks in Cuba ' s capital, Havana. Catatumbo told reporters the ELN could join the FARC ' s negotiations with the government, which deal with issues including disarmament, land reform and political participation, or the ELN can pursue discussions of its own. The request comes a day after the two rebel groups announced that they held a secret meeting in Colombia last month in which they put past differences behind them and agreed all rebel groups should be involved in peace talks going forward. The FARC and the ELN had fought each other for control of drug trafficking routes, but maintained a cordial distance in recent years. Involving another party now could slow progress in the already drawn-out talks and the request is likely to frustrate President Juan Manuel Santos, who has insisted that the FARC stick to conditions for talks agreed at the outset. Both the ELN and the FARC have battled a dozen
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