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Colombia's president making surprise trip to Cuba to advance peace talks

Associated Press
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In this Sept. 21, 2015 photo, Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos talks in Quito, Ecuador. Santos has announced a surprise trip Wednesday to Cuba for a key meeting with government peace negotiators trying to wrap up talks aimed at ending the country’s long-running conflict. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2014 file photo, Humberto de la Calle, head of Colombia's government peace negotiation team, center, talks with Ivan Marquez, chief negotiator for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), after a joint statement in Havana, Cuba. Declaring that "peace is near," Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos announced a surprise trip Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 to Cuba for a key meeting with government negotiators and the rebels' top military commander as he seeks to wrap up talks to end the country's long-running conflict. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2014 file photo, victims of the Colombian armed conflict give a press conference after a meeting with the peace negotiation teams of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombia's government on the sidelines of peace talks in Havana, Cuba. Declaring that "peace is near," Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos announced a surprise trip Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 to Cuba for a key meeting with government negotiators and the rebels' top military commander as he seeks to wrap up talks to end the country's long-running conflict. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File) (The Associated Press)

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is making a surprise trip to Cuba for a key meeting with government peace negotiators trying to wrap up two-year-old talks aimed at bringing an end to the country's long-running conflict.

Santos made the announcement on Twitter Wednesday, saying that 3/8peace is near.3/8

Colombia has been abuzz in recent hours with speculation that the government and negotiators for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have reached a tentative agreement on the thorny issue of how to punish rebel commanders accused of human rights abuses.

If confirmed, it would represent a major breakthrough in the talks and remove the last remaining major obstacle to a final deal to end the half-century of fighting.