[News] Farc slams Colombian government

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Farc slams Colombian government

Friday, July 30, 2010
17:41 Mecca time, 14:41 GMT
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/07/20107305313279872.html

Al Jazeera obtained video of Alfonso Cano, the Farc chief, delivering 
a message to Colombia's government

The leader of Colombia's largest rebel group has been seen in a new 
video, criticising the Latin American country's president-elect.

In the video obtained by Al Jazeera, Alfonso Cano, the 
<http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/05/2008615165816702835.html>Revolutionary 
Armed Forces of Colombia(Farc) leader, is shown to be discussing the 
recent presidential elections and government's policies.

"The triumph of [Juan Manuel] Santos on June 20 guarantees the 
continuation of his policies and strategies," Cano, whose real name 
is 
<http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/05/20086150851467563.html>Guillermo 
Saenz Vargas,says in the video dated July 2010.

"He [Santos] has shielded the former government from being taken to 
national or international justice."

Santos, the former defence 
minister,<http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/06/2010620213922101559.html> 
won Colombia's run-offpresidential election last month.

He promised to continue the policies of Alvaro Uribe, the outgoing 
president, who was unable to run for re-election after a 
constitutional court barred him from seeking a third term.

Crucial juncture

Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo said that the release of the video, the 
authenticity of which could not be verified, came at a crucial time 
for the country.

"This is happening only days before the elected president of 
Colombia, Juan Manos Santos, who will succeed president Alvaro Uribe, 
takes office. This is no coincidence," our correspondent said.

"He is also sending a message to Juan Manuel Santos about the future 
and what he should do."

In the video, Cano also said that the new president has merely 
undertaken a task "of rearranging a political regime".

"[This government] is filled with illegitimacy because it has been 
taken over by drug trafficking, by administrative corruption, and impunity."

"The whole electoral apparatus is rotten. It is characterised by 
terrorist violence in a substantial way."

Popular figure

Uribe's two four-year terms in office were marred by scandals over 
corruption and human rights abuses, including arrests of legislators 
for "colluding with death squads" and a probe into state spies 
illegally wiretapping journalists and judges.

But he remains popular for battling the Farc fighters, using billions 
of dollars in US aid to push them away from Colombia's main cities.

The Farc fighters have said that they will keep up their fight 
against the government.

"People can vote for whom the want, but we will continue fighting," 
Commander Duber of Farc told Al Jazeera on the eve of the election.

"The ideology of the Farc is to win or die, that's what Che Guevara said."




Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20100730/84cb8c4a/attachment.htm>