Former FARC guerrilla, Colombian cop pose naked together to promote peace deal
There are very few
There are very few countries in the world where the advancement of peace talks to end a decades old civil conflict leads two gorgeous women to strip naked and canoodle for a sexy magazine shoot.
Israel and Palestine? Don't think so. North and South Korea? Wouldn't bet on it. Ukraine? Possibly, but not likely.
Colombia, however... absolutely!
With major breakthroughs occurring in the long-running peace talks between the Colombian government and the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group, a former member of Colombia's version of the FBI and a former guerrilla decided to give peace – and nude modelling – a chance.
That's how Isabel Londono, a former member of Colombia's now defunct national intelligence agency DAS, ending up wearing a skimpy black bra and panties as a nude Ana Pacheco, an ex-FARC guerrilla, nestles up next to her for the cover shot of Soho, a Colombian men's magazine.
"We have never gotten into political issues, that's not the tint of the magazine," Diego Garzón the director of Soho told Spain's ABC newspaper. "But somehow we wanted to be part of the feeling of reconciliation that is prevalent in the country with all this peace."
The cover shot, which is accompanied by a full spread inside the magazine and titled "Peace as Soho," was meant to pay homage to the iconic December 1980 Rolling Stone magazine cover photo taken by Annie Leibovitz of a naked John Lennon alongside his wife Yoko Ono.
"It's been very important to pose for these Soho photos, because we're at peace, and what could be more beautiful that it's two women from the opposing sides who are posing," Pacheco said.
In a joint statement in late September from Cuba, where the peace talks are taking place, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said they have overcome the last significant obstacle to a peace deal by settling on a formula to punish belligerents for human rights abuses committed during a half century of bloody, drug-fueled fighting.
"We are on different sides but today we advance in the same direction, in the most noble direction a society can take, which is toward peace," said Santos, minutes before a historic, cold-faced handshake with the military commander of the FARC guerrillas, known by his alias Timochenko.
Rebels that confess abuses to special peace tribunals, compensate victims and promise not to take up arms again will receive a maximum 8 years of labor under unspecified conditions but not prisons. War crimes committed by Colombia's military will also be judged by the tribunals and combatants caught lying will face penalties of up to 20 years in jail.
Santos said the FARC vowed to demobilize within 60 days of a definitive agreement, which he said would be signed within six months.
Negotiators must still come up with a mechanism for rebels to demobilize, hand over their weapons and provide reparations to their victims. Santos has also promised he'll give Colombians the chance to voice their opinion in a referendum and any deal must also clear Congress.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he called Santos to congratulate him and his negotiating team.
"Peace is now ever closer for the Colombian people and millions of conflict victims," Kerry said in a statement.
According to the latest poll published last week, the number of Colombians who support the peace process has increased from 54 percent in August to 60 percent in November.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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