VENEZUELA - COLOMBIA

Chavez: FARC is not a 'terrorist body'

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Hours after welcoming hostages freed by the Colombian rebel group FARC, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged European and Latin American governments Friday to stop branding Colombia's guerrillas as terrorists.

See the Special Report aboutIngrid Betancourt

Saturday, January 12, 2008

By AFP

Hours after welcoming hostages freed by the Colombian rebel group FARC, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged European and Latin American governments Friday to stop branding Colombia's guerrillas terrorists as does the United States.

"I am asking the governments (across Latin America) to take the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and ELN (National Liberation Army) off their lists of global terrorist groups," Chavez told the National Assembly, saying he asked European nations to do the same.

"Because those lists exist for one reason alone -- US pressure," Chavez said in his address on the year 2007.

The leftist Colombian rebel groups "are not any terrorist body, they are real armies that occupy territory in Colombia; they must be recognized, they are insurgent forces that have a political project, a Bolivarian project, which here is respected," Chavez said.

His message was likely to infuriate the elected Colombian government the rebels are bent on bringing down.

Chavez, an elected leftist former paratrooper, says he is inspired by independence hero Simon Bolivar, whose name he also invokes to describe what he calls Venezuela's socialist "Bolivarian" revolution.

On Thursday two women released by the FARC were greeted in Caracas with kisses and tears after years of captivity in the jungle. Chavez helped mediate to secure their release.

The United States deems Colombia's rebel forces terrorist groups. Uribe's government is Washington's closest ally in the Americas.

The FARC, at 17,000-strong, has waged an insurgency against the Colombian government for more than 40 years.

[6] reactions :

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Ask Colombians... FARC ARE TERRORISTS

By Juan Jaramillo

I am Colombian and I consider them terrorists. There is no romantic guerrilla movie here, they just want the most capitalists of rewards by playing old communist rethoric: MONEY. The drugs and the hostage ransoms make them very rich and now they are addicted to that power. On February 4 Colombians around the world will march to let the world know that we don't want FARC, we don't want more lies from them, we don't want more kidnappings. Before some of you make comments regarding our political situation, please check the facts and remember the more of 800 people still kidnapped, the more than tens of thousands that they have killed and the millons displaced. The people of Colombia don't want armed militias on the right (paramilitares) or leftist guerrillas on the left (FARC-ELN), we want to move forward in peace. Almost everybody in Colombia has been touched by the violence in his/her own family by either group and they should both be punish as terrorists!!!
Saturday, January 12, 2008

FARC not terrorists?

By Jhon Thomas

FARC have shown enough bad faith to the world during the last 40 years in colombian history, and is incredible how memory can faid over time. They have released two of the nearly 800 hostages that they have in inhuman conditions. They are not a legitimate army and people must not forget that this hostages were taken originaly to get a ransom and not to gain any political laverage as they are pretending now. The big porcentage of this hostages are innocent people, civilians taken against their will, while the guerrilleros in colombian jails, were taken as a result of terrorist acts aganst towns and the general population. Chavez has been able to acomplish the liberation in such a short term only due to the tight relationship with FARC, one should ask what is chavez´s real agenda when he tolarates FARC terrorism even in his own country? isnt the use of necklace bombs a terrorist act? im not talking about the one that was diffused on 2000 killing Mrs Elvira Cortes in front of the media http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7512370.stm but the ones used on Venezuelan citizens in Venezuela to get funds to keep runing the drug bussines in Colombia http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3036664.stm . How come this is not a terrorist act, and how can people forget all these awful deeds just because they are liberating two when they should, by right and ethics liberate all the 800?
Saturday, January 12, 2008

"don't call them terrorist yet"

By Missa KONE

President CHAVEZ is right because there is a difference between somebody who attempts to human life and somebody who keeps men and women in captivity....FARCs showed they are ready for mediation so we can't mediate by regarding them as terrorist...That's not normal or else Mr SARKOZY invited Khadafi last year while lot of people desagreed with him....For the life of the others let us consider FARCs with regards....May be one day they will sit down at the table of brotherwood with Columbia government so that we could hope others' release...so much thanks to CHAVEZ
Saturday, January 12, 2008

Chavez speaks the truth

By Kenneth T. Tellis

Neither Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia,Furezas Armadas de Liberacion National of Colombia are terrorists at all. In fact they are no more terrorist than the Minutemen and other groups fighting for American independence under George Washington.

We must also add to this Moviemento Tupac Amaru of Peru, which are also patriots not terrorists as the U.S. and the E.U. claim that they are. It is time for reality to enter the fray and common sense should be used when calling Liberators terrorists anywhere in the world.

Today, Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias has told the world the facts on these patriotic groups in Latin America, and they should understand the difference. If not, there will be more trouble ahead.

Viva Bolivar! Viva Chavez! Viva Venezuela!
Friday, January 11, 2008

Chavez succeeded in the Colombian crisis

By Kenneth T. Tellis

Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias has triumphed over U.S. President George W. Bush and his Colombian puppet Alvaro Uribe. He has got FARC to release two of its hostages today. It did not suit the U.S. Government of George W. Bush to have Chavez bring about their release because it has raised his status in all of Latin America and the third world.

Today, Chavez has proven that he was the man for the job, and that kept his word, even though every attempt was made to sabotage it. The families of two released hostages can now be reunited with them, thanks to Chavez.

Viva Bolivar! Viva Chavez! Viva Venezuela!
Thursday, January 10, 2008

hostages release in columbia

By Missa KONE

I think that will be a begining of a process which will certainly ends by the release of the world famous hostage,i mean Ingrid BETANCOURT and also the others currently held by the FARC......Thanks to all those who take part to this action and i wish the support of all to Hugo CHAVEZ.He obtained in a short moment what nobody did so many years.It will be important to find somebody for the mediation otherwise CHAVEZ could mediate between the two protagonist,he already succeeded, why not him to continue...May God help the others hostages