'Peace Colombia' Promises $450 Million From US to Help End Latin America's Longest War Since 1964

• comments
• 
• 

United States President Barack Obama promises $450 million to Colombia to help for the country's rehabilitation after a long war with Marxist guerrillas.

It has been dubbed as the longest war in history that started in 1964. The Colombian government, along with President Obama, is hoping that this will be the time to achieve ultimate peace.

According to a report from Yahoo! News, President Obama is happy with the direction both the Colombian government and the rebels are taking. In fact, he has pledged his support no matter what the outcome is.

"Just as the United States has been Colombia's partner in a time of war," President Obama said at the White House during the visit of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. "I indicated to President Santos we would be your partner in waging peace."

President Santos and the rest of the Colombian government are thankful for the help they have received not only from the Americans but also from other countries in Europe.

"The government of Colombia will do everything it can, but it's clear that it doesn't have sufficient resources on its own to do the job the way it ought to be done without significant support from the United States and the European Union," said President Santos' adviser Douglass Cassel, who is also a Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame.

According to a report by Wall Street Journal, the government has called the new plan as "Peace Colombia," which is their way of convincing the rebels to help them reach a final agreement that would ultimately give everyone the advantage by ending the half-century of internal conflict.

Although, the rebel group seems stalled, everyone is positive that peace is just right around the corner.

The ELN is the largest rebel group in Colombia with 1,400 armed soldiers. Along the years of conflict, the ELN have made their presence felt several time and they have caused damage to both the civilians and the government.

The group has been involved with kidnapping, illegal drug trade and killing government soldiers.

President Santos revealed that the rebels are willing to lay down their arms if they can come up with a deal. The agreement includes the rebel cutting ties with the drug trafficking business and convincing the people in the mountain to stop planting illegal Coca plants and replace it with legal crops.

Those are parts of the peace agreement, the rebel group has reportedly agreed.