Peace in six months in Colombia after 40 years of conflict… Alvaro Leyva Duran has put this apparently nonsensical offer to the voters, as an independent candidate in the Colombian Presidential elections on 28 May. Called "Noah's Ark", his programme interests Manuel Maralunda, leader of FARC.

Also known as Pedro Antonio Marin but better known as Manuel Marulanda, also known as "Tirofijo" he welcomed Alvaro Leyva on a three day visit, at the end of last December to the FARC stronghold in the mountains. The recent edition of the weekly newspaper Semana revealed this. Alvaro Leyva also confirmed this live on radio Caracol. His account puts an end to rumours of the death of "Tirofijo", aged 77, who has not been seen since 2002.

A rebellious member of the Conservative Party, former minister and above all a former negotiator with several rebels under various presidents, Alvaro Leyva, aged 66, is the presidential candidate representing the National Movement for Reconciliation. Having 4% of voter preferences, it would appear his presence is purely symbolic like that of other candidates trying to prevent President Alvaro Uribe from being elected for a second term, who it is forecast will win an absolute majority.

Nevertheless, if Alvaro Leyva succeeds in convincing the electorate that he is

a "peace candidate", as he calls himself, by opposing the "war candidate " that Alavaor Uribe would be, a surprise might be possible. In 1998, FARC support

for the Conservative party candidate, Andres Pastrana who had promised peace talks was not decisive but it did help him win the elections.

According to Alvaro Leyva while meeting him on 22 December last, "Tirofijo" stated he had never received the proposal put by France, Switzerland and Spain that was planned to expedite a humanitarian exchange that would favour notably the French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt held hostage by FARC since 23 February 2002.

Put forward on 12 December last and accepted immediately by President Uribe, the proposal was based on the temporary demilitarisation, guaranteed by international observers, of an area of 180 square kilometres in the southwest of Colombia near El Retiro. Government representatives and FARC would negotiate the freedom of 59 military and political hostages held by rebels in exchange for freeing some 500 jailed rebels.

On 23 February, the EU and the French Foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy condemned the fact that Ingrid Betancourt had been held hostage by FARC for four years and he urged FARC to accept the proposal put by Paris Berne and Madrid.

Announcing Alvaro Leyva's visit with FARC, the weekly paper Semana (who no doubt had questioned the presidential candidate) indicated that "Trifigo"would refuse to meet representatives of the three European countries and that he seems no possibility of a humanitarian exchange under President Alvaro Uribe, still less during election time. See the statement from the FARC Chief of Staff dated 29 December entitled " With Uribe no humanitarian exchange".

Taking a broader view of such an exchange, the FARC leader thinks that the Government should recognise the existence of an armed and social conflict. The government claims that it is in conflict with mere terrorists. This recognition would be a pre-requisite for any political talks leading to a peace settlement.

A new and surprising point made by "Tirofijo" would be that if such talks begin, the US ought to participate as a party to the conflict. FARC would even be prepared to manually eradicate coca plantations in cooperation with Washington.

The "Noah's Ark "programme with which Alvaro Leyva sets his sights on the presidency of Colombia sees itself as a reconciliation campaign for all Colombians. No one is excluded. Army, rebels, government, Church and even paramilitaries are invited to dialogue. Alvaro Leyva puts forward his meetings with paramilitary chiefs, made at their invitation, as an asset.

Those who would participate in the "Noah's Ark" must recognise that an internal conflict exists in Colombia and that this conflict has social, economic and political causes.

The main objective of this programme is a ceasefire within six months. The opening of a peace process based on agreement between combatants would then be possible.

Less than a month after his meetings with "Tirofijo", Alvaro Leyva received a long letter from the FARC chief dated 20 January last. Semana has also published this.

The rebel leader tries to justify the failure of the peace process begun three and a half years ago thanks in particular to Alvaro Leyva during the presidency of Andres Pastrana, President of Colombia between 1998 and 2002.

The main point of the 9-page letter is the final paragraph. Manuel Maralunda aka "Tirofijo" states, "We must look for policies that unite us and channel together our criterion and our efforts through candidates who will bring about changes in legislative, executive and judicial areas, as well as in the armed forces…"

Without clarifying whether he was referring to the pending legislative elections on 12 March, the presidential elections on 28 May, or the eventual election of a National Assembly to reform the Constitution or all these elements together, the FARC chief seems in favour of supporting the forthcoming electoral campaign of the National Movement for reconciliation led by Alvaro Leyva.

As a result, the latter appears almost as a presidential candidate sponsored by rebels. Any new information about the fate of Ingrid Betancourt that might be released by FARC, especially an eventual new video in which Ingrid Betancourt will speak, will have to be analysed in this context.