The Exploratory phase of the talks between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP took place between September 2010 and August 2012. It all began with an exchange of letters and communications – through third party delegates – and ended with the General Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace, which guided the course and rules of the talks during the public stage.
From September 2010 until February 2012, the Government and the FARC-EP exchanged letters and communications through third party delegates for these tasks. The purpose of these exchanges, most of them through a methodology called “Letter-message”, was to explore the possibility of a negotiated solution to the confrontation between the two parties and to identify possible interests and steps to make such a scenario viable. At the same time, four exploratory meetings were held in Colombia and Venezuela between delegates of both parties where the terms for their formal meeting in La Havana were agreed upon, exploring the possibility of initiating a public negotiation. These exchanges continued until the formal meeting of the parties in February 2012 in Havana (Cuba).
Once the delegations met in Cuba, ten rounds of talks were held between February and August 2012, which were also attended by delegates from Norway and Cuba. In these rounds, the parties presented their positions regarding a possible negotiation scenario and constructed a six-point agenda that would guide the course of the talks during the public stage and defined the rules for the development of such scenario. This agenda would be formally known as the General Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace.
