Colombia 's top rebel group , FARC , announced Monday it will temporarily halt its decades-old battle against government forces starting at midnight as a goodwill gesture amid peace talks with the Colombia government . FARC commander Ivan Marquez announced the unilateral cease-fire and called on the the Colombian government to do the same as he arrived for peace talks at Cuba 's Convention Palace in Havana Monday . `` Heeding the overwhelming demand for peace from diverse sectors of the country , the FARC secretariat orders guerrilla units across the country to cease military operations and acts of sabotage , '' Marquez said . The rebel cease-fire is scheduled to start Monday night and last until January 20 , the rebel group said . It 's unlikely the Colombian government will take part in the two-month truce : Bogota has said previously that it will not consider a cease-fire until after a final agreement is reached . FARC had signaled that it would pursue a cease-fire , even before peace talks , now being held in Havana , began in mid-October in Norway . Critics of the move believe it 's just an attempt by the rebel group to rebuild its forces . The leftist FARC , or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , has been at war with the government since the 1960s , making it the longest-running insurgency in Latin America . The U.S. State Department , which has listed FARC as a terror group , posted a $ 5 million reward for the capture of Marquez , whose real name is Luciano Marin Arango . FARC child soldiers on the rise . There have been sporadic attempts at peace since the 1980s . The last attempt fell apart in 2002 . Then-President Andres Pastrana ceded an area the size of Switzerland to the guerrilla group but ended negotiations after rebels launched a series of attacks across the country in an apparent bid to strengthen their position . But this time , both sides say , they have a more ambitious agenda . `` The end of the armed conflict is the precursor to peace . To achieve it , we have to go deep into the transformation of society , '' said Humberto de la Calle , a representative for the Colombian government . Five facts about the FARC rebels . The end of hostilities -- the kidnappings and bombings by the FARC and military operations by the government -- will not usher in peace without a true transformation within the country , he said . Ivan Marquez , a FARC representative , agreed . `` We are not the guerrillas that some media make us out to be , '' he said . `` We come to the table with proposals and projects to achieve a definitive peace , a peace that implies a demilitarization of the state and radical socioeconomic reforms that are the foundation of democracy , justice and freedom . '' The FARC continues to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces , though it has been severely weakened in recent years . Two days after peace talks began in Norway , an apparent FARC rebel attack killed five Colombian soldiers . FARC rebels release French journalist . A large distance remains between the sides . While the Colombian government has said that the FARC could continue to advocate for its positions as a political force , it does not want to negotiate all the group 's demands during the peace talks . `` This is about creating an agenda for the end of the conflict that allows the FARC to put forth its ideas unaccompanied by weapons , and with guarantees for its transformation to an unarmed political force , '' de la Calle said .
Colombian President Ivan Marquez calls on the Colombian government to join the cease - fire . Colombia 's FARC rebels announce one - sided truce as goodwill gesture . FARC is taking part in peace talks with Colombia 's government . Bogota has previously rejected any negotiations before a peace deal .