Chavez to Colombia: the FARC be with you

Uribe is succesfully battling the Chavez-backed FARC. (AP Photo)

In the ongoing saga between Venezuelan despot President Hugo Chavez and Colombian democratic President Alvaro Uribe, Chavez for the moment appears to have the upper hand.   He basks in the glow of – finally – securing the release of two female hostages from the narco-trafficking and kidnapping terrorist FARC [the Spanish abbreviation of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] organization.  However, analysts in Caracas and Bogotá, the countries’ capitals, are betting Chavez has overplayed his hand and that Uribe will prevail not only against his Venezuelan nemesis but also in his war of attrition against Colombia’s guerrilla gangs.

Uribe ended 2007 with the powerful revelation that one reason FARC’s once bruited, oft delayed Christmas release of three hostages had not taken place was that Emmanuel – born in captivity – was in fact already in a Bogotá foster home.  Undoubtedly under great pressure from an embarrassed Chavez, the release of the two ladies, both prominent politicians and one Emmanuel’s mother, ultimately took place the week before last.

The cracks in the Chavez–FARC peace façade are already appearing: less than 72 hours following the two ladies’ release, FARC gunmen kidnapped six others from a beach on Colombia’s Pacific coast. At the same time, Chavez’s plea for FARC and ELN, the two leading guerrilla groups, to no longer be called "terrorists" but belligerent combatants was rejected out of hand, not just in Bogotá and Washington but also by the European Union, indicating how low the once romanticized revolutionary "freedom fighters" have fallen.

Leftist Colombian political figures are separating themselves from Chavez’s attempt to legitimize the FARC.  Carlos Gaviria, head of the far left Polo Democratico party, as well as Senator Gustavo Petro, a Polo Democratico leader and close friend of Chavez, have both deplored the Venezuelan’s call to end the guerrillas’ terrorist designation.

All sides are holding Afro-Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba accountable for her ardent support of Chavez and, implicitly, the FARC.  A prime factor: several weeks ago, more than five million citizens marched in the streets of the country’s main cities, demanding that the kidnapping stop and those held be released.

The Chavez-FARC alliance is not new.  The FARC has enjoyed safe haven basing rights in the western jungles bordering Colombia for its troops and safe houses in Caracas for its leaders for many years. More recently, Venezuelan authorities have enabled some 300 tons annually of Colombian cocaine through the country for re-export to Europe and the U.S. – a highly profitable arrangement for both FARC and Chavez.

As important, there are strong indications that significant amounts of Russian arms purchased by Venezuela are being transshipped to FARC camps for use in their "liberation movement".

Colombia ‘s Alvaro Uribe seeks to implement a multi-faceted effort to free more hostages and to strengthen his country’s anti-guerrilla position:

• Surprisingly, Uribe has acquiesced in Hugo Chavez serving as a clearly biased "mediator" in hostage relief efforts.  With more than 700 hostages, results to date are miniscule, but every release or escape is widely welcomed by the Colombian people, whatever the reason.
• A strong government effort to win over guerrillas has been spectacularly successful, especially with the ELN, the second most powerful terror organization.  Inducements to lay down their arms include cash as well as technical training programs sponsored by America’s Plan Colombia.
• Simultaneously, Colombian military efforts to eliminate guerrilla leaders and encampments are steadily progressing.
• Critical to the Colombian strategy is approval by the U.S. Congress of the pending free trade agreement.  To date, Democrats and their labor union allies have offered multiple excuses for holding the agreement hostage [big labor has committed to spending $200 million in support of Democrats during the 2008 election cycle].  In an effort to offset the pull of American labor bosses, Colombia has shown several Congressional delegations the results of the Uribe administration’s ongoing efforts to curb violence, quell the narcotics trade and curtail what have always been minimal human rights abuses.

Unfortunately, the latest group of Washington travelers ended their visit with a carefully balanced pair of utterances. Representative James McGovern [D-Massachusetts] earned positive points by demurring from Chavez’s call for Colombia’s guerrilla groups to be legitimized as belligerents. However, Rep. George Miller [D-California], chairman of the House Education & Labor Committee, said it was not an appropriate time to take up the free trade agreement, because of "new realities" facing the U.S. economy, including rising unemployment and recession fears.  Sadly, Miller ignored the economy-strengthening fact that the FTA allows more than 90 percent of American products and services duty free status, which combined with the undervalued dollar, provides significant export growth potential.  This was the Democrats’ fifth rationale for refusing to take up the bilateral trade deal since its agreement by both parties in late 2006. 

Such a position is extraordinarily frustrating to Colombians in and out of government, because very few of the country’s existing and prospective exports – key among them coffee and fresh flowers – prove a threat to U.S. producers.  That said, encouraging legitimate agricultural exports is a strong means of discouraging farmers from cultivating the coca plant, the source of 90 percent of the world’s cocaine.  Given a little help from its friend to the north, Colombia has a very good chance of achieving the Uribe government’s ambitious plans.  

Despite Hugo Chavez’s current coup in the freeing of two FARC hostages, it can be hoped that truly bipartisan Congressional consideration of the free trade agreement will result in its passage, to the benefit of both countries and a particular boon to efforts to stabilize Colombia.

Geopolitical analyst John R. Thomson writes frequently on bilateral and regional affairs in the developing world.

This is the real FARC: Compelling video of the atrocities of this terrorist group. Viewer discretion is advised: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSpJpn1Djqk.  

1. We encourage you to watch the video and since it’s in Spanish we have prepared a translation of each slide:
2. The FARC: army of the people?
3. The FARC are liars.
4. While the FARC want to take power by force against the will of the Colombian people, our nation must still suffer from their terrorist attacks such as car bombings, kidnappings, drug dealing, land mines and other crimes.
5. We Colombians are very aware that the FARC never accepts responsibility for the crimes it commits.
6. Terrorism: Domination through terror; Successive acts of violence executed to spread fear.
7. This is the real story.
8. February 25, 1999. The FARC kidnapped and then murdered three Americans who were defending the rights of the indigenous population.
9. On March 4 the slaughtered bodies of Terence Freitas, Ingrid Washinawatok and Lahe’ ena’e Gay, were discovered with their hands tied.
10. The FARC denied any involvement but later they had to accept it.
11. May 16, 1999. FARC members placed a "bomb necklace" around the neck of Elvira Cortez…the victim had to pay the FARC the "monthly security fee" and the terrorists detonated the explosive using a remote control.
12. December 29, 2000. Diego Turbay Cote, chief Peace Commissioner of the Colombian Congress was detained by the FARC while traveling with five people including family members… They were forced out of the vehicle and murdered.
13. September 29, 2001, Consuelo Araujo, former minister of Culture was kidnapped and murdered by the FARC. A relative Simon Trinidad was captured in Ecuador for participating in her murder.
14. March 16, 2002. Monsignor Isaias Duarte, archbishop of the archdiocese of Cali who led a movement against kidnapping, was assassinated by the FARC terrorists.
15. The FARC targets women, children and the civil population in general.
16. February 7, 2003: FARC attack: Car bomb explodes in nightclub "El Nogal," killing 36 people and wounding 172.
17. June 24, 2003: Former Miss Colombia, Doris Gil Santamaria and her husband Helmut Bickenbach were kidnapped and murdered by the FARC.
18. In a failed rescue attempt, the FARC assassinates former minister Gilberto Echeverry, the governor of Antioquia and eight soldiers they held hostage. In a barbaric act, the FARC leader that held them captives orders the execution of the hostages when he hears airplanes flying over the area.
19. April 14, 2005. FARC members attack two towns, killing innocent civilians including children, women and the elderly of an indigenous community.
20. In this image you can see a FARC terrorist preparing a mortar to attack a community.
21. February 26, 2006. The FARC murder nine Municipal Counsels in the town of Rivera while they were at a meeting. They never claimed responsibility knowing the Colombian people would repudiate such an act.
22. April 6, 2006. The FARC terrorists attack a train "Transmilenio" where 20 people were injured and one 9 year old child was killed. (Friends appear crying).
23. The FARC attack the Military Academy and the School of War, were 25 people were killed. As always, they denied any involvement.
24. October 28, 2006. The FARC detonated a car bomb in Villavicencio. Two people died.
25. The FARC asked taxi driver Leonardo Baron Martinez (30) to deliver a package to the Fourth Division of the Armed Forces. He never imagined he was carrying explosives which were detonated by remote control. Officer Milton Cesar Guevara (21) was killed in the attack.
26. March 1 and 3, 2007: In an attempt to kill the mayor of Neiva the FARC placed two bombs that exploded unnecessarily injuring many people including Captain Carlos Alberto Cardona and police officers, Alexander Peralta, Robinson Lonono Sanchez and John Jairo Valdivia. The explosion also injured 8 other people, destroyed the surroundings and set a bus ablaze.
27. From June 22 until June 24: The FARC attacked the town of Buenaventura killing 2 people including a 2 year-old girl and severely injuring several others. 27. June 28, 2007: The FARC announced via Internet that they have butchered 11 of the 12 Congressmen being held hostage since 2002. The entire country now calls the FARC: Assassins, Terrorists. See the faces of their leaders:
28. First: Manuel "Tiro Fijo" Marulanda. Second: Manuel "Tiro Fijo" and "Mono Jojoy" Briceño. Third: Ivan Marquez. Fourth: Raul Reyes. Fifth: Timo Chenko Sixth: Alfonso Cano. Seventh: Diego Montoya, a.k.a. ‘Don Diego.’ Eighth: Rodrigo Granda. Ninth: Simon Trinidad.