May 16, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the Colombian government reached an agreement in Havana on the country’s drug crisis, the third issue on a six-point peace agenda being discussed during talks which began in November of 2012.

In a joint statement presented at the city’s Convention Center, both parties stated that agreements have been reached on issues of illegal production, consumption, public health, sales, and illegal trafficking. The document also expressed the need to construct a new vision to address the causes and consequences of drug trafficking, and provide real alternatives to create a definitive solution to the crisis, which has fueled conflict and violence in the country.

Toward this end, both organizations agreed to implement a Substitution of Illegal Crops National Program, as part of the structural transformation of the countryside, in need of comprehensive rural reform. This program will focus on the land and consider proposals made by community assemblies. Both parties expressed their commitment to implementing a program of clearing and cleaning of lands, as well as promoting health, prevention, social support and inclusion, in particular for children and adolescents.

The agreement includes the implementation of a plan in areas threatened by organized crime and the neutralization of these groups, among other initiatives. Humberto de la Calle, head of the government’s negotiating team, described the agreement as an "important milestone" in the dialogue, describing the plan as "ambitious and well conceived."

However, Iván Márquez, head of the FARC-EP delegation, stated that there are still issues to be resolved, which must either be eliminated or addressed by a National Constituent Assembly, in order to arrive at a conclusive agreement.

The framework of the new drug trafficking enforcement policy; the suspension of aerial chemical spraying and reparations for its victims; and the restructuring of the national health system are among the issues which remain to be resolved.

The FARC-EP also stated that a national conference is needed, to analyze the problem of sales and production of illegal drugs. Márquez also stated that FARC-EP’s decision to declare a unilateral eight-day ceasefire during the Presidential elections, contrasts with the attitude displayed by the government, which has rejected the possibility of a bilateral truce during the peace process.