Split between FARC and ELN

[Janus]

FARC has declared war on ELN after certain aggressions.

I'm sure the Colombian government is quite happy over this disunity.

Originally posted by FARC

From the ranks of the ELN we have received aggressions that we only expected from the enemy

Colombian rebels turn on "allies " (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5070408.stm)

What do y'all think?

[Phalanx]

FARC is completely idiotic for making such a move. This will severely weaken the entire campaign, and probably throw FARC into its death knells.

[Janus]

That depends 'cause the ELN may turn in their guns soon as they're already engaged in peace negotiations with the Colombian government. This will only strengthen the government hand even more in their negotiations.

[violencia.Proletariat]

Fuck the ELN, they are giving up anyways. Aside from what the BBC has to say, the FARC shouldn't trust a group thats isn talks with the government that has knowledge of tactical information about FARC.

[Janus]

I'm not sure if they are simply giving up or not.

However, the group has been viciously battered by the army and the paramilitary forces to a critical point. This is only worse tidings and gives more incentive for them to reach a peace deal with the army.

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 04:45 AM
However, the group has been viciously battered by the army and the paramilitary forces to a critical point. This is only worse tidings and gives more incentive for them to reach a peace deal with the army.
That they should even seek peace is reason enough for FARC to "turn" on them

[Janus]

OK, but the government will only benefit the most out of this war between both sides.

[ComradeOm]

True but what can FARC do about that? The withdrawal of ELN from the conflict was always going to benefit Bogota.

[Operation Red Flag]

They seem to be arguing over making money, hardly revolutionary

[Ander]

I don't know much about the FARC or the situation in Colombia, but from what I've read, the views of the FARC and the ELN seem to be quite similar. What is stopping or has stopped them from merging into one group in the past?

[violencia.Proletariat]

Originally posted by Operation Red [email protected] 12 2006, 07:55 AM
They seem to be arguing over making money, hardly revolutionary
And you reached this opinion after reading a bourgeois news article? :rolleyes: There's more to it than that.


I don't know much about the FARC or the situation in Colombia, but from what I've read, the views of the FARC and the ELN seem to be quite similar. What is stopping or has stopped them from merging into one group in the past?

The National Liberation Army (ELN) is a liberation theologist group. The FARC is an atheist marxist leninist organization.

[More Fire for the People]

The ELN is a cult of 'radical' preachers. No wonder the FARC doesn't trust them.

[Operation Red Flag]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 04:44 PM
And you reached this opinion after reading a bourgeois news article?
I can't imagine any possible agenda that the BBC could have in relation to Columbia. The article is factually and contexually correct and just calling it beurgeois doesn't negate it's usefulness as a source on what is occurring between FARC and ELN


There's more to it than that
How?

Just to be clear, I said:

They seem to be arguing over making money

The article says

where the Farc have been trying to take over ELN sources of income.

Okay, this could be anti-rebel propaganda but we do know that the FARC have recently concentrated on increasing funds rather than battling the government, so I feel I have every right to remain suspicious over this sudden declaration of war.

ORF

[rouchambeau]

No doubt the grunts will blindly follow the orders or their "superiors" and kill eachother while their commanders sit pretty. This only goes to show the folly of taking orders from those in power.

[Operation Red Flag]

This only goes to show the folly of taking orders from those in power.
Not to be the forum irritant (it's inevitable, sadly) but that seems a bit of a nihilistic statement. It all depends on "those in power"; if they are democratically elected and recallable representatives then I don't see a problem with their having the power to make certain decisions. In this way the main mass of members would control power yet delegates could make decisions according to the desires of the main grouping.


No doubt the grunts will blindly follow the orders or their "superiors" and kill each other while their commanders sit pretty
Well said

[violencia.Proletariat]

I can't imagine any possible agenda that the BBC could have in relation to Columbia. The article is factually and contexually correct and just calling it beurgeois doesn't negate it's usefulness as a source on what is occurring between FARC and ELN

All bourgeois media is inherently conservative and masks and contains social and revolutionary movements into negative viewpoints. Whether the information they get is biased or they do it purposely, it is usually the case.

It's not a useful source in figuering out the real reason behind FARC actions. The BBC classifies FARC as a drugrunner bunch of terrorists, like all other major media. Their word on the FARC is about as useful as a capitalists viewpoint on communism.


How?

"Turf war"? This is exactly what I was speaking of above. What the BBC doesn't understand is that the FARC and the ELN aren't the same. They have different idealogies. But the BBC thinking FARC is a drug running gang is of course going to classify this in "gangster" terms. It's not that FARC has tactical reasons to oppose the ELN, it's because the ELN "was on FARC's turf." :rolleyes: Do you realize how simple and completely stupid that sounds?


Okay, this could be anti-rebel propaganda but we do know that the FARC have recently concentrated on increasing funds rather than battling the government, so I feel I have every right to remain suspicious over this sudden declaration of war.

Do we know that? There are a lot of FARC attacks that go unreported by the media. Uribe wants to make FARC look weak and easy to defeat. He logically is going to keep all offensive actions by the FARC on the down low and talk them down when they get coverage.

Secondly, the ELN is a small force (around 5000 troops). They are unlikely to have a significant income that FARC would deem necessary to aprehend through violence.

[Operation Red Flag]

All bourgeois media is inherently conservative and masks and contains social and revolutionary movements into negative viewpoints.
We should take information from the more mainstream news outlets with a pinch of salt but that doesn't mean we should disregard them entirely. In fact, why don't you click on the quick guide to the Colombian conflict located within that article?

Here's an extract:


The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) was officially formed in 1964, when it declared its intention to use armed struggle to seize power.

The smaller rebel group the National Liberation Army (ELN) was founded in 1965, inspired by the Cuban revolution.

The United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) has its roots in the 1980s militias set up by drugs lords to combat rebel kidnappings and extortion.

This right-wing umbrella group is backed by elements in the army
It isn't brilliant but it is non-biased.



Whether the information they get is biased or they do it purposely, it is usually the case.
I would agree if it weren't for the fact I can't see a possible political agenda behind BBC reporting on this.


It's not a useful source in figuering out the real reason behind FARC actions
Of course it's useful. It may not be 100% reliable but what source would be - FARC propaganda websites? :rolleyes:


The BBC classifies FARC as a drugrunner bunch of terrorists
That article doesn't even mention drug-running.


What the BBC doesn't understand is that the FARC and the ELN aren't the same. They have different idealogies.
Not only is this irrelevant, it's incorrect. The BBC classifies the ELN and FARC as two seperate groups.


There are a lot of FARC attacks that go unreported by the media
Seems a bit of a paradox then, you being so knowledgable on these attacks despite them being unreported by the media


Secondly, the ELN is a small force (around 5000 troops). They are unlikely to have a significant income that FARC would deem necessary to aprehend through violence.
Their man-power would be unrelated to the amount of land they control. FARC control almost 1/3 of Colombia with just 12000 or so men.

I sort of got backtracked their arguing about the BBC, sorry. If you just concentrate on my main points you'll get the gist of my argument.

ORF

[bayano]

my response? utterly depressing. not a big fan of either the farc or the eln, tho i have mild support for them, but they really do not need this. seems like it can only be acts of desperation on both sides to allow something so horrendous to happen.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

What do y'all think?
I see little point for the FARC to exist. They do not have support from the people. The people have before and they did now elected Uribe.

[violencia.Proletariat]

It isn't brilliant but it is non-biased.

...is this supposed to mean that their news articles aren't biased? :rolleyes:


I would agree if it weren't for the fact I can't see a possible political agenda behind BBC reporting on this.

The BBC is not a mouthpiece of revolutionary ideas. It's capitalist media, they have no reason to report fair and non-biased information. Their reports on FARC are equal to CNN's.

As I have said in what you quoted, it might not even be intentional. Whomever they are getting their information from in Colombia is clearly biased. It's probably a government source.


Of course it's useful. It may not be 100% reliable but what source would be - FARC propaganda websites? :rolleyes:

How about independent media.


That article doesn't even mention drug-running.

Read FARC articles on the BBC. This one mentions "sources of income" what do you think they are referring to?


Not only is this irrelevant, it's incorrect. The BBC classifies the ELN and FARC as two seperate groups.

Of course its relevant. They are inherently opposed to each other and this has everything to do with the topic. Of course they are two seperate groups, but the article makes them seem like allies. But as I have already demonstrated they are opposed to eachother in idealogy.


you being so knowledgable on these attacks despite them being unreported by the media

Mainstream media.


Their man-power would be unrelated to the amount of land they control. FARC control almost 1/3 of Colombia with just 12000 or so men.

Another figure from the BBC eh? FARC's number is really unknown. I'll be damned before I believe Uribe's estimate.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

How can you guys support FARC when they have almost no support among the population? :rolleyes:



From the ranks of the ELN we have received aggressions that we only expected from the enemy

What kind of aggressions?

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 09:04 PM
How can you guys support FARC when they have almost no support among the population? :rolleyes:
So those 15-20K members just appeared out of thin air?

[rebelworker]

ComradeOm, just because one group enters into peace talks dose not give another group the right to attack them. this is the most petty kind of sectarianism and belongs in schoolyard games not revolutionary politics, real people will get killed.

As for the suport of the FARC, its very hard to say how much support they have, just because someone else was elected means very little, bush was elected and the majority of americans do not support him. Thats in a country without paramilitaries and almost daily asasinations of progressive organisers.

For Colombia as a whole I would say that the role of armed struggle has played itself out as far as usefulness. The FARC will never win. Only moving away from guerrilla struggle and pushing for more democracy and rights through popular movements will the left ever be victorious.

I understand why people took up the gun in the first place, but there is enough room for above ground organising that tht is where revolutionaries should be putting their priorities. The real problem with this is that the people who have been engaged in armed struggle are stuck. It would be very hard for them to surface without being killed.

The last time the FARC entered peace talks the govt used it as an oportunity to kill much of their leadership.

I dont have all the answers, but I do thunk that armed struggle has show itself to be a dead end tacktic for long term reolutionary strategy(as opposed to short term survival, or insurection, which i totally understand and feel there is a time for).

[Ander]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 06:11 PM
So those 15-20K members just appeared out of thin air?
In a country of 45 million, that's really not much at all.

[Comrade Don]

The ELN have been leaning away from the revolution for some time, The FARC is doing what it thinks is best, and by doing declaring war on the ELN , It might just bring more fighters to the FARC's side.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

So those 15-20K members just appeared out of thin air?

62 percent of the population voted for Uribe. :rolleyes:


In a country of 45,6 million, 12-20 thousand is really not much at all. And plenty of those 12-20 k have other reasons to join FARC than "revolution".

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by rebelworker+--> (rebelworker)ComradeOm, just because one group enters into peace talks dose not give another group the right to attack them. this is the most petty kind of sectarianism and belongs in schoolyard games not revolutionary politics, real people will get killed.[/b]
So you propose what? Sit back and let the government take control of ELN territory? Or maybe FARC should lay down their arms as well… that way only FARC members will be getting killed, not “real people”.

It is not sectarian to wage war on reformists and reactionaries :angry:


Originally posted by [email protected]
In a country of 45 million, that's really not much at all.
Of course it is! Typically active insurgent fighters make up a tiny percentage of the population, no matter how popular their cause is. However they rely on a huge network of popular support to operate. The most obvious analogy/cliché is that they are the tip of the iceberg.

Besides, how many other nations can boast such large-scale insurgencies?


NWOG
62 percent of the population voted for Uribe.
Get your facts straight. 62% of the electorate voted for Uribe. That’s less than 7 million votes.

[Operation Red Flag]

So you propose what? Sit back and let the government take control of ELN territory?
I doubt that the ELN would decommission if they weren't sure they were safe from government attacks


It is not sectarian to wage war on reformists and reactionaries
If it even is over an ideological conflict (doubtful) then you can't justify the killing off of the ELN (or, inevitably, peasants that support the ELN) by calling them 'reformist'; if the ELN want to call a truce then thet is their decision, not one the FARC can make for them.


However they rely on a huge network of popular support to operate
Or, they could be oppressing the peasants and brainwashing the kids into conscription. Bit of both I would surmise.


Besides, how many other nations can boast such large-scale insurgencies?
Iraq, Nepal, etc. Not that an insurgency case makes a country any more inclined to a Socialist revolution anyway.


Get your facts straight. 62% of the electorate voted for Uribe. That’s less than 7 million votes.
True. Uribe is just another corrupt capitalist trying to hold onto power.

If the FARC want change they should organise above ground and in the cities, instead of bickering over territory.

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by Operation Red [email protected] 13 2006, 12:30 PM
I doubt that the ELN would decommission if they weren't sure they were safe from government attacks
And...? The government moves in ELN territory and two things happen - FARC has another front and the peasants in those areas get to meet government deathsquads.


If it even is over an ideological conflict (doubtful) then you can't justify the killing off of the ELN (or, inevitably, peasants that support the ELN) by calling them 'reformist'; if the ELN want to call a truce then thet is their decision, not one the FARC can make for them.
If ELN call a truce then they can expect to deal with FARC's reaction. FARC is currently waging a war against the government and those that co-operate with it - need I draw a picture?


Or, they could be oppressing the peasants and brainwashing the kids into conscription. Bit of both I would surmise.
Of course FARC could never possibly appeal to these people, it must "oppress" and "conscript" them. Maybe they're using their drug money to build an army of super commie soldiers! :o

Think before you type and don't believe everything the White House tells you.


Iraq, Nepal, etc. Not that an insurgency case makes a country any more inclined to a Socialist revolution anyway.
That&#39;s two <_<

In both cases, irregardless of ideology, the insurgency is built upon the support of a highly alienated people. Think for a minute - how the hells can FARC muster so many fighters/members without the support of the peasant community?

[Ander]

Originally posted by ComradeOm+Jun 13 2006, 08:30 AM--> (ComradeOm @ Jun 13 2006, 08:30 AM)
Jello
In a country of 45 million, that&#39;s really not much at all.
Of course it is&#33; Typically active insurgent fighters make up a tiny percentage of the population, no matter how popular their cause is. However they rely on a huge network of popular support to operate. The most obvious analogy/cliché is that they are the tip of the iceberg.

[/b]
That is .04% of the population. I&#39;m not claiming to know much about the FARC, I was simply pointing something out. I don&#39;t know how popular they are among the people, so maybe you could inform me?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Get your facts straight. 62% of the electorate voted for Uribe. That’s less than 7 million votes.

And all those over... 18 are able to vote, yes?


True. Uribe is just another corrupt capitalist trying to hold onto power.

Oh come on. They voted for him.


Is it really that weird that most people do not support FARC?

A person on these pages, a leftist, lived in Colombia and experiences the horrors of FARC. If I recall correctly, the FARC stopped traffic on a highway and executed some people, sprayed the FARC logo on the lorries and let the rest who were alive, to go. They were told that if they remove the FARC logo, they would be executed. He saw it all.

Can anyone remember his name? I think he and his family moved to the UK. He had a Che logo...

[rebelworker]

The "revolution" is not one arme group winning over another, its the mass of the opressed classes destroying the old order and rebuilding a system of govt and economics that is fully democratic.

People outside the FRAC are working towards this, the FARC dose not have the manopoly over "the correct path".

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Where is it said that FARC declared war on ELN? Who said it? It just seems the BBC said that, not FARC itself.

[violencia.Proletariat]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13 2006, 05:02 AM

So those 15-20K members just appeared out of thin air?

62 percent of the population voted for Uribe. :rolleyes:


In a country of 45,6 million, 12-20 thousand is really not much at all. And plenty of those 12-20 k have other reasons to join FARC than "revolution".
Do all of the 45.6 million people of Colombia vote? :rolleyes: Then no, 62% of the population did not vote for Uribe.

Also, how true is a vote from a member of a community held faced with reprisals from a para military if they voted the wrong way?

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by Jello+Jun 13 2006, 03:53 PM--> (Jello &#064; Jun 13 2006, 03:53 PM)That is .04% of the population. I&#39;m not claiming to know much about the FARC, I was simply pointing something out. I don&#39;t know how popular they are among the people, so maybe you could inform me?[/b]
I&#39;ll try again - the fact that FARC has 15-20k active fighters indicates that they have a huge support base. This is a simple observation from current and past insurgencies around the globe. In conflicts such as these there is typically a dozen supporters in the community for every active guerrilla. These are the lifeblood of such unconventional armies.


Originally posted by [email protected]

Oh come on. They voted for him.
In that case it must be true that he represents the Columbian people :o

Here&#39;s a question you can start a new thread on - what is reformism and why do I not give a shit about bourgeois politicians?


rebelworker
People outside the FRAC are working towards this, the FARC dose not have the manopoly over "the correct path".
Do you consider making peace with the government, if that is what indeed is happening, to be "the correct path"?

Personally I tend to view that as a pretty fucking wrong path

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Do all of the 45.6 million people of Colombia vote? rolleyes.gif Then no, 62% of the population did not vote for Uribe.

Correction: 62 percent of those 18 and older.



Also, how true is a vote from a member of a community held faced with reprisals from a para military if they voted the wrong way?

Source?

[bayano]

firstly, NWOG, the elections are bullshit. lets take three quick stops on this road. first, what ive found says that it was 7.3 million people who allegedly voted for uribe, which is not 62% of the eligible voter population. i also read that voter participation was just over 45%&#33;&#33;&#33; less than 12 million voted out of 26 million registered voters. what are my sources? the national electoral board of colombia&#39;s website.

next stop, NED. the usa, as usual, poored plenty of dough and work into making sure their candidate won, a formula that used to work everytime, and they are playing in each election this year- including peru and venezuela but especially colombia. when chavez or evo win against the current of NED, IRI and other US interventions, that is a legit victory.

last stop, its a war. elections cant be fair in a war where the state carries out or is connected to most of the war crimes. the paras are descended by paras founded directly by the colombian state in the 1960s, and are populated by soldiers and cops. when there are that many paras, of course more people are going vote the way they are told to than would in peacetime. their alternative? death. its amazing the left party got 22% of the vote at all, but all things being fair it wouldnt have turned out this way.

for the most part, i agree with rebelworker in this discussion, but i do give some degree of support to the farc and eln. and u said it yourself, three thousand of farcistas were massacred when they tried to go legal in the mid 1980s. doesnt give a strong incentive to put down the arms, and neither does the style, policies or history of alvaro uribe. in the end, i sincerely doubt armed struggle is going to liberate colombia without a (non-violent) cleansing of the revolutionaries by ending the armed struggle, and perhaps returning to it if need be later on in new and more dynamic formations. but as is, the farc and the eln are dinosaurs as far as armed &#39;revolutionary&#39; groups go. i think the filipino dino-guerrillas have a better chance than these colombian dino-guerrillas.

oh, and the argument that the number of fighters in the farc shows an amount of sympathy is weak. the auc just a few years ago had 12,000, but they were mercenaries for the most part.

[violencia.Proletariat]

Correction: 62 percent of those 18 and older.

Thats not true either. That would mean everyone over 18 votes in Colombia. THAT IS NOT TRUE.

It&#39;s 62% of those 18 and older, THAT VOTE.

[Janus]

What kind of aggressions?
It seems to be a war over territory and ELN killed some FARC fighters when they moved into ELN territory.


Where is it said that FARC declared war on ELN?
They said that they would "punish" the ELN on their website.

[bolshevik butcher]

I think that this a disastorous tactical decision from FARC. Although I critically support both FARC and the ELN, and I disagree with the ELNs latest leanings towards peace, the FARC is not going to gain support or members by doing this. It needs to appraoch the ELN fighters with its program and it&#39;s ideas in a comradley manner to do this, not launch an all out war against who are basically socialist comrades.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

i also read that voter participation was just over 45%&#33;&#33;&#33; less than 12 million voted out of 26 million registered voters. what are my sources? the national electoral board of colombia&#39;s website.


45 percent is actually quite/very high. Only about one third of those over 18 in Norway vote, I believe. In Venezuela, what is it again? 20, 25 percent?

[bayano]

this was a presidential election. when chavez survived the referendum, it was with 70% voting. he has been voted into office, what, three times so far? and another time this year? seems pretty fair to me. and it also seems fair since plenty of election monitoring groups that are right wing or at least not fans of chavez have said the elections were totally clean and fair. ever heard the term voter fatigue? its when they have tons of elections. well, venezuela does, which arguably makes it plenty more democratic, but it also means some lesser elections are going to see low voter results. anyway, this isnt about comparing colombia with venezuela, which is as arbitrary as picking any other country without dicussing context.

[A Man of no Nation]

Have any of you actually visited Colombia and/or spoken to Colombians currently living in Colombia? For most of you I doubt it. So stop trying to act like you know what the fuck you are talking about when you do not. As for those of you saying, "All of the mainstream media is bias, all rightwing, etc..." also do not know what the fuck you are talking about. The Left can be just as bias. I am tired of people making asumptions just because Las FARC or ELN says they are "left". Just because they claim to be "leftist" doesnt make them any better than the "right". I have lived in Colombia and have traveled all across this beautiful country, and I still am far from knowing the answers.

What most of you fail to realize is that Colombia is a very difficult situation. None of the sides in Colombia are doing what is right for its people. The only people that should be doing their jobs (but cant because of both rightwing and leftwing oppresion) are the human rights groups, peace groups and free-thinkers.

What you need to do in order to make a clear and non-bias observation on Colombian politics is to look at facts and what the people caught in the conflict (not by desire) have to say. We need to analize the facts and not just make assumptions that was posted on Las FARC-EP web-site.

1. Uribe

Yes, Uribe has won the popular vote. It is not difficult to see why. Before Uribe was in office, Colombia was an extremly dangerous country to travel/live in. The war was at an all time high. You could not drive a vehicle outside of a major city past 7 oclock without being attacked by theives or being stopped by so-called rebels. Since Uribe has been in office, Colombia has changed significantly. Colombians feel so much safer than they did back in the 90s. I can travel from Cali to Medellin, Ipiales to Cali, Medellin to Cartagena just to name a few on a night bus with no problems. If I had done this 6 years ago, I would have been robbed and possibly taken away because I was North American. Since Uribe, this happens only in very rural areas. So it is not difficult to see why so many people voted for him. Colombia is a much safer country for the majority of the people and the economy has improved.

2. Paramilitares

On the other hand, most Colombians do not know the whole story. Uribe has been a large supporter of right-wing paramilitary groups since he was gov. of Antioquia. The AUC (los paramilitares) commit horrific acts against pesants, farmers and guerrilla supporters. Unspeakable tortures are commited weekly under los paramilitares. 70% of all human rights violations are commited by paramilitary forces in Colombia. Thanks to Uribe, drug trade, and the US; paramilitary groups in Colombia are doing the dirty work for Uribe and Imperialism. A typical story in Colombia:

You are with your family working a small farm to stay alive. The government has forgotten you and left you out to die. You have no education, healthcare, running water, electricity or dreams. Day by day you try to provide enough for your family. Then one night a group of 15 men come to your tiny village and demand food. Its Las FARC, and they have plenty of guns with them. Of course you give them food; you have no choice. If you do not give them food, they kill you and take the food anyway. The next couple days, you and your family go without food. A couple days later, Los Paramilitares show up with even bigger guns (brought to you by the US military), round up everyone in the town, and masacre those who have provided food for the guerrilla. Women and children are included in the masacres and tortures. Then the survivors are forced to flee their homes within 24 hours. They have no place to go, most of them die along the long march to the cities...with hopes the government will lend a helping hand. It is never given. These desplazados have no future. Thank you imperialism&#33;

3. ELN

ELNs numbers are at all time lows. Less than 3000 soldiers have been estimated by HRW (Human Rights Watch). They are known to have the largest recrutement of children as soldiers because of thier lack of man power. ELN has recently losing ground due to heavy paramilitary presence in Cordoba Sucre Bolivar Magdalena and Cesar. I personally think the peace talks are a good thing. What is wrong with peace?

4. Las FARC

The largest of the groups is not as involved in the drug trade as people make them out to be. This is a propaganda ploy used by the Colombian military to make them look like "thugs" or "just drug dealers with a questionable ideology". This is not the case. The guerrilla however puts a tax on coca production. So far, no evidence points to the FARC being involved with sales and/or transport. With the freetrade agreement, over 30,000 rice farmers are now out of work. With no work and mouths to feed, they have no choice but to produce cocaine. Unless the government takes steps to help the rural population of Colombia, the drug trade will continue to help those the government has left out to die.

Las FARC does recruit child soliders. They even have admited to this. But they have been quoted by saying something along the lines of (sorry, I do not have the quote with me...read "War Without Quater" by HRW for more information and interviews), "Women come to us with their children begging us to recruit them into are force. They are starving, have no education, and wish for thier children to live a better life. That the FARC will provide a better future for thier children. It is very difficult to turn down a child with his mother pleading with us to save her child." We can conclude that Las FARC has done good things for its people and horrific crimes against the colombian people. I believe las FARC would be a great force if they did not limit freedoms. In the presence of FARC territory (also known as "nueva colombia") there is no freedom of speech.

That brings me to another topic. Freedom of expresion does not exist in Colombia. If I talk bad about the government, I am imprisioned. If I talk bad about the paramilitaries, I am supposidly a guerrilla supporter and killed. If I talk bas about las FARC, I am an imperialist and I am executed on the spot.

Colombia has a long way to go.
First, we need to stop military aid to colombia.

Second, bring up these issues in discussion groups with people across the globe. The Colombian situation is rarely talked about, but needs to be.

Third, write your congressman/woman about your concrens of the colombian conflict.

Fourth, Colombia needs to not fall into the trap of corporate imperialism.

Fifth, Human rights groups and peace keepers should be allowed to do thier jobs.

Sixth, Educate. Educate that picking up a gun a murdering one that dissagrees with you does not better your cause. That peace, and true democracy will make Colombia one of the greatest places to live. Educate that Anarchism and Socialism is about peace, not "revolutionary bloodshed".

I hope this has helped some of you. Please teach me.

-a man of no nation (dream of no borders; not nationalism)

[A Man of no Nation]

some good sites on Colombia:

www.colombiajournal.org

www.justiceforcolombia.org