Although the Colombian government has had a string of recent successes against the FARC, the war against the guerrilla army is far from over.

From the International Herald Tribune:

Soaring coca cultivation, forced disappearances, assassinations, the displacement of families and the planting of land mines stubbornly persist, the hallmarks of a backlands conflict that threatens to drag on for years, even without the once-spectacular actions of guerrillas in large Colombian cities.

For those caught in the crossfire, talk of a possible endgame for the war seems decidedly premature, even given the deaths this year of several top guerrilla leaders, the desertion of hundreds of rebels each month and the rescue of prized hostages like the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.