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| Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to be sworn in | Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to be sworn in |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Foreign delegations from 73 countries have arrived in Colombia for the inauguration of President Juan Manuel Santos. | Foreign delegations from 73 countries have arrived in Colombia for the inauguration of President Juan Manuel Santos. |
| President Santos was re-elected to a second term in June. | President Santos was re-elected to a second term in June. |
| His victory was a resounding vote of confidence for the peace process he started with left-wing Farc rebels in November 2012. | His victory was a resounding 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. | Colombia has suffered more than five decades of conflict which has led to more than 200,000 deaths. |
| Challenges ahead | Challenges ahead |
| The challenges facing President Santos are many. | 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 dwindled, 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. | 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 will also have to ensure that any deal he reaches with the rebels has the support of the population. |
| He also faces considerable opposition from his conservative rival, Ivan Zuluaga and his mentor, former President Alvaro Uribe, a fierce critic of the peace talks. | He also faces considerable opposition from his conservative rival, Ivan Zuluaga and his mentor, 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 civilian population and on infrastructure. | President Santos has expressed anger at the rebels in recent days about attacks by Farc on the civilian population and on infrastructure. |
| 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 cede even a centimetre of our territory while we continue negotiations abroad," he said. | "We will continue fighting because the fastest way to reach the end of this conflict is not to cede even a centimetre of our territory while we continue negotiations 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. | 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. |