Monday, October 11, 2010

FARC reject surrender offer, demand structural changes in Colombia

After the massive bombing last month against the headquarters of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC in the jungle department of Meta, which resulted in the killing among others of the military commander of the main Colombian guerrilla, Jorge Briceño, alias Mono Jojoy, the government of Bogotá issued an offer of surrender (depose weapons and demobilize).

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have now replied with a "no, thank you". They reproduced the reply issued by Briceño himself to an similar empty offer earlier this year: 

How little you know us, mister Padilla de León [former commander of the Colombian Army]! With all sincerity, without resentments and with the respect that all revolutionary professes for his adversaries, I reply to you: no, very much thank you, my general. 

The Secretariat of the FARC estates that Colombia needs paths of reconciliation and peace agreements but not in the form of a mere surrender:

Peace agreements, yes, but the crucial point is: with or without structural changes in the political and social aspects?

We are in wait to take seat to dialogue seriously to settle our differences by the civilized exchange of opinions towards the definitive solution of the political, economical and social causes that generate the internal conflict, for the good of the future generations of Colombians.

Sources[es]: Gara, Caracol Radio.


Appendix: my best estimate of FARC presence in Colombia, an understanding exercise I made a couple of months ago. 

FARC in Colombia

Legend: Red to white scale tries to reflect stronger or weaker guerrilla presence in each department. Bright red would be nearly effective control and white no  visible presence in the last many years.

Black dots are main cities and yellow stars are recent known combat sites (approximate locations, includes latest massive air attack in Meta). The blocs refer to the regional organization of the FARC.

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