The 50-year-old Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), once considered the best-funded insurgency in the world, is at its smallest and most vulnerable state in decades, due in part to a CIA covert action program that has helped Colombian forces kill at least two dozen rebel leaders, according to interviews with more than 30 former and current U.S. and Colombian officials.

Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa will be the key figures in a UN campaign to promote peace in Colombia. The United Nations representative in Colombia, Fabrizio Hochschild, announced on Thursday that that the “Peace is Mine” initiative aims to promote peace in the country through the iconic use of these “two huge global figures.”

Members of congress representing countries across the world, converged on Bogota for the 35 Annual Parliamentary Forum, showing support for ongoing peace talks between Colombia’s government and FARC rebels. At the start of the event, Ross Robertson, president of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), said, “to fight for peace, we are here to give positive energy. We sustain peace. We are legislators and we can make the difference, we can alert our institutions to support the Colombian peace process.”

Colombia's largest rebel group, the Farc, has announced a 30-day-long ceasefire starting on 15 December. The announcement came a day after five soldiers, one police officer and three civilians were killed by a Farc car bomb attack against a police station. The Farc declared a similar ceasefire when peace talks began in Cuba a year ago. It was abandoned on 20 January. The Colombian government insists it will only stop fighting the rebels when a final peace accord is reached.

During an official visit by Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos to the White House on Tuesday, President Obama reiterated his government's support for continued peace talks between the Colombian government and the Marxist rebel group, FARC. The meeting between the two hemispheric leaders focused on the ongoing peace talks, being held in Havana, Cuba, and on other issues like human rights and trade.

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos announced Tuesday that two women will be joining negotiators for the government in ongoing peace talks with the counrty’s largest rebel group the FARC in Havana, Cuba. The two women named were Maria Paulina, a lawyer and human rights advocate, and Nigeria Renteria, currently the High Presidential Adviser on Women’s Equality.

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos praised his country’s relationship with Ecuador during a visit of his Ecuadorean counterpart, Rafael Correa, to the border region on Monday. Santos specifically was positive about Correa’s support for ongoing peace talks with the country’s largest and oldest-living rebel group, the FARC.

Negotiations with Marxist guerrillas are closer than ever to ending a 50-year conflict, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said in an interview after a breakthrough in talks, even as his political opponents accuse his government of selling out to the rebels. “I think this time we will reach an agreement, and we will have peace,” Santos said, appearing relaxed, the collar of his dress shirt unbuttoned, as he flew on the presidential plane to this northern city to oversee infrastructure projects. “We have never even been close to what we have already achieved.”