Colombian rebels say peace deal unlikely by March 23 deadline

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos speaks to the nation following the latest, historic step in the peace talks with FARC rebels in Havana, Cuba at the presidential palace in Bogota, December 15, 2015. REUTERS/Cesar Carrion/Colombian Presidency/Handout via Reuters

HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombia's leftist FARC rebels on Wednesday cast doubt on the chances of reaching a peace agreement with the Colombian government by a March 23 deadline, despite a pledge by President Juan Manuel Santos to urgently press for a deal.

The government and guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been negotiating in Cuba for three years to end Latin America's longest war, which has killed 220,000 and displaced millions since 1964.