President Santos was re-elected to a second term in June. 

 

His victory was a resounding³（轰动的） vote of confidence for the peace process he started with left-wing Farc rebels in November 2012. 

 

Colombia has suffered more than five decades of conflict which has led to more than 200,000 deaths.

 

 

The challenges facing President Santos are many.

 

First he will be expected to reach a final agreement with the Farc, which even though its numbers had dwindled⁴, still has an estimated 7,500 active fighters. 

 

Then he will have to negotiate a peace deal with the National Liberation Army (ELN), a smaller left-wing guerrilla group which commands some 2,500 rebels.

 

He will also have to ensure that any deal he reaches with the rebels has the support of the population.

 

He also faces considerable opposition⁵ from his conservative rival, Ivan Zuluaga and his mentor⁶, former President Alvaro Uribe, a fierce critic of the peace talks. 

 

President Santos has expressed anger at the rebels in recent days about attacks by Farc on the civilian⁷ population and on infrastructure⁸. 

 

But he has repeated that while talks taking place in Havana continue, the Colombian military will not drop its guard.

 

"We will continue fighting because the fastest way to reach the end of this conflict is not to cede⁹ even a centimetre of our territory while we continue negotiations¹⁰ abroad," he said. 

 

Talks are expected to resume on 17 August when a first group of representatives speaking for the victims of the conflict will arrive in Havana.

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