Exclusive-Peace deal with Colombia unlikely before end of Petro's term-EMC rebel leader

Commander of the Central General Staff (EMC) of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Alexander Diaz Mendoza, better known by his nom de guerre as Calarca Cordoba, speaks during an interview with Reuters in San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia March 8, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia (Reuters) - It will be difficult for the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) armed group to sign a peace deal with the Colombian government before President Gustavo Petro finishes his term in 2026, despite trust between the two sides, a major leader of the EMC told Reuters on the sidelines of peace talks.

The EMC - founded by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who reject the 2016 peace deal signed by that group - began its own talks with the Petro government last year, in a bid to end its part in Colombia's 60 years of war.