Colombian guerrilla group plans to suspend fighting

Colombia's most prominent leftist guerrilla group, the April 19 Movement (M- 19), decided to suspend all armed activity, a group spokesman said.

Ramiro Lucio Escobar, a former guerrilla and representative of M-19 reform, said the decision had been made in light of President Belisario Betancur's initiatives to restore peace. Mr. Betancur came to power last month on a platform of national conciliation and since agreed to hold direct talks with guerrilla leaders on ending the violence, which cost nearly 900 lives in 1981 alone.