The FARC’s supreme leader, “Timochenko,” vowed on Friday that his rebel group will ” explain as much as possible” about victimization and “accept the consequences” of the rebels’ actions in the 50 years of armed conflict against the state.
Rodrigo Londoño“Timochenko” or “Timoleon Jimenez”, the FARC’s Commander-in-Chief since 2011 |
In an editorial published on the FARC’s website, the FARC leader assured that his group will accept the “corresponding consequences” of civilian victimization during 50 years of violence.
Timochenko group is currently negotiating peace with the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos and in the process of allowing victim representatives to the peace talks table while a historic or truth commission will be formed to clarify responsibility for the millions of victims of the decades-long military conflict.
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However, the FARC leader stressed that “holding us responsible for all evil is the fashionable topic, always has been. Distorting what we say, manipulating it, demonizing it.”
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“We are of the best disposition, which undoubtedly exists, to explain as much as will be necessary and assume the corresponding consequences, knowing we will face the lowness and deceit of those who desperately aspire to annihilate us,” Timochenko said.
In the same editorial, the FARC boss said his organization refuses to take full responsibility for the violence, and called on state institutions, mainstream media, Colombia’s political dynasties and economic power houses to take responsibility for what the FARC considers their contribution to political violence that has cost more than 220,000 lives since 1958.
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“We plainly reject, for being directly opposed to the historic reality, the idea that the ruling class, its traditional political parties and proxies of today, its governments, the State in general, economic powerhouses, the mainstream press and many other sectors in the shadows of power, have their hands clean of Colombian people’s blood,” said Timochenko.
Consequently, the FARC insist that signing a peace accord must guarantee that “Colombia does not continue to be the same. In this we are different from our adversaries. They just want to get rid of us in order to not change anything, so everything continues the way it. They growl and threaten when this becomes complicated, but there’s no way, we are different than them.”
Timochenko’s vow to carry the consequences of his actions as rebel leader comes at a time the United Nations and the National University are forming victim representatives’ groups to engage in the talks.
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The FARC and the government previously admitted their role as victimizers in the conflict, after which a process began to involve the victims in creating processes that can lead to asking forgiveness and compensating victims.
In the event the two negotiating teams and victim representatives find agreement, the negotiators will discuss a bilateral ceasefire, the logistics of ending the war, disarmament, and the reintegrating of rebel fighters and active supporters.
Once demobilized, the FARC will be subjected to a system of transitional justice that could allow lower-ranked fighters to enter reintegration programs rather than prison, and offer lower than common sentences to commanders.
The government and rebels began formal talks in late 2012.
Sources
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Pese a todo, persistiremos (FARC-EP)