Wednesday Feb 22, 2023 - Colombia - More talks with FARC, Two Earthquakes, Colombians Emigrating

These are some of the Trending news in Colombia on Wednesday February 22nd, 2023.

Colombia's government is set to begin talks with two dissident groups founded by former FARC rebels who reject the 2016 peace deal. The country's top peace official has said that the initial phase of coming together and building confidence is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, leading to the start of the dialogue phase. The government has already resumed peace talks with the National Liberation Army rebels and agreed on ceasefires with two FARC dissident factions. President Gustavo Petro has pledged to end Colombia's 60-year conflict with remaining rebels and crime gangs and fully implement the accord with FARC.

Two earthquakes hit the department of Boyacá in Colombia, only two minutes apart. The first, with a magnitude of 3.9, struck the town of Campohermoso at 6:25 pm on February 18, while the second, with a magnitude of 2.5, hit Macanal just two minutes later. No damage or casualties have been reported. This comes after another tremor was recorded on the same morning, with a magnitude of 3.2 and a depth of 148 km. While the earthquakes have caused concern among the public, no damage has been reported so far.

Over half a million Colombians emigrated from the country last year due to the economic situation, according to a study by the Conflict Analysis Resource Center (Cerac). This figure, which is more than double the annual average since 2012, is a historic high. The migratory wave coincided with increased availability of Covid-19 vaccines and lower levels of contagion. The rise in the exchange rate is another reason cited, as it provides an opportunity to earn in dollars and send remittances to family members. With the trend towards an economic slowdown, the study center anticipates that the migratory trend could increase. Last year, the peso was one of the most devalued currencies in the world, with the Representative Market Rate exceeding $5,000.

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