Earlier this month Colombia’s FARC rebels unilaterally freed six hostages including a former governor and three policemen. The gesture was welcomed and increased hope that a peaceful solution could be negotiated.Sadly, aspirations of peace appear a long way off partly due to the government's intransigence but also since the guerillas have not renounced their overly violent ways.
In a communiqué published this morning, FARC leaders admitted to killing eight indigenous peasants who were accused of serving as army informants. "Given the pressure of the operation, their responsibility in the death of numerous guerrillas and their irrefutable active participation in the conflict, they were executed," said the statement published on the ANNCOL news site.
The relationship between Colombia’s indigenous communities and the actors in the country’s armed conflict has been uneasy and dangerous. Tensions rose between natives and the government late last year over free trade and a lack of land reform. Indigenous leaders, meanwhile, claim to be constantly targeted by the FARC:
Luis Evelis Andrade of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym ONIC, said the FARC had targeted the Awa because the Indians don't want to get involved in the armed struggle and refuse to reveal information on government troop actions.Image- El Pais (Indigenous peoples displaced by Colombia’s ongoing armed conflict)
Speaking on Caracol TV, ONIC said the FARC has abducted 120 Awa since February 4 and 44 Awa have been killed this year…
"We are very worried about the Awa community," said Monsignor Gustavo Giron Higuita, the bishop of the city of Tumaco. "It is a community that is pretty unprotected and that in the past five years has received a type of persecution by armed groups."
Online Sources- Reuters, The Latin Americanist, ANNCOL, IHT, CNN, Radio Netherlands Worldwide
1 comment:
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"Sadly, aspirations of peace appear a long way off partly due to the government's intransigence but also since the guerillas have not renounced their overly violent ways."
For many decades the Governments of Colombia ( including the present one ) have done the most incredible acts of humility to achieve peace.
But the Guerrillas are living in the times of Stalin or Mao Tse Tung. Total arrogance. They always say NO.
Sigifredo Lopez, a diputado ( state legislature ) was kidnapped for many years and saw 10 of his diputado companions being killed.
He survived by feigning ignorance and imbecility.
After being released, Sigifredo asked the president to be harder and not softer on these "terrorists" ( the exact word that he used to describe his captors ).
He criticized Alvaro Uribe for releasing 150 guerrillas when the President of France Sarkozy asked for that gesture. Sigifredo said that the generosity of the president was extremely foolish.
Finally, the most distinguished journalist that has known the guerrillas in their camps said that this problem is going to last another 100 years, but that they will be confined to the deep jungle, and very weakened with almost no power, eating worms and snakes.
Milenials.com
Prophesizing.com
Vicente Duque
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