Ivan Marquez reappears on video after being presumed dead

FARC dissident ‘Iván Márquez’, leader of the Second Marquetalia and former chief peace negotiator for the former guerrilla group, reappeared following being presumed dead in an attack in Venezuela in July 2022.

Through a video, ‘Márquez’, who reappeared for the first time in an audio and whose survival had been confirmed by several authorities, spoke regarding different current issues such as President Gustavo Petro’s proposal for a Constituent Assembly.

According to his statements, it shows that the video is recent, as it talks regarding Petro’s initiative, presented last March during a government event in Cali, given the difficulty he has in getting Congress to approve his reforms, where his support has diminished.

“On March 15, President Petro (…) spoke of opening a constituent process in Colombia. We are going for all or nothing, no more decades and centuries of deceit and oppression,” added ‘Márquez’.

The video was published during the ‘Vichada Binational Forum: Territory of Peace, Life and Biodiversity’, held in the municipality of Puerto Carreño, capital of the department of Vichada (bordering Venezuela).

During the event, which was attended by national, regional and local authorities, as well as representatives of the security forces, attendees watched the 17-minute speech by the head of the Second Marquetalia.