Yesterday was the official launch of the peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas in Oslo. Perhaps the most remarkable point was the highly confrontational tone employed by the rebels’ lead negotiator, Iván Márquez. His statements poured cold water on the optimism that many Colombians had about the prospects of these peace talks. Here’s a good analysis by The Economist’s Intelligence Unit of his speech.

Two weeks ago I taped this interview on the peace process in Colombia with “Latin Pulse,” a radio program of the School of Communication of American University. I stated then my cautiousness about the FARC’s commitment to reach a peace deal. After listening to what Márquez said yesterday, I’m even more cautious now.