Members of Colombia's largest militant group, the FARC, have waged a deadly guerrilla war against government forces for decades.<br/> <br />But officials are hopeful they can end the conflict as President Juan Manuel Santos presses forward with plans to host peace talks with armed groups.<br/> <br />On Monday Santos said the government is learning from mistakes made during previous failed talks and that it was time to step up measures to ensure peace at all costs.<br/> <br />Santos hopes to host the talks in a neutral country like Cuba or Norway and so far has been successful in getting FARC leaders to come on board.<br/> <br />The process has even spurred the ELN, Colombia's second biggest armed group, to seek its own place in the talks.<br/> <br />Should he be successful, Santos will secure his place in history, which would likely boost his flagging popularity amid security concerns over oil plant attacks.<br/> <br />Some Colombian residents say they are still sceptical of the FARC's intentions, since it tricked the government during the last peace summit and used a troop pullout to build up its forces and drug running operations in Colombia's vast jungles.
