Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC on Monday began adding English subtitles to speeches given in the context of ongoing peace talks with the government in an attempt to generate international goodwill.
The first speech that was offered with subtitles was that of the leader of the guerrillas’ delegation leader “Ivan Marquez” at the beginning of a new cycle of talks aimed at putting an end to half a century of rebel violence.
“The English translation of our propaganda is aimed at winning [the support of] the peoples and governments of Europe for peace in Colombia,” FARC negotiator “Andres Paris” told Colombia Reports.
According to the guerrilla leader, “Europe joined the U.S. policy to consider us terrorists.” Paris claimed the FARC “are social activists.”
Paris’ rebel group was added to the European Union’s terrorist list in 2002 following failed peace talks with then-President Andres Pastrana and the beginning of a US-backed military offensive that eventually pushed the rebels away from Colombia’s major cities and economically important regions.
The organization has been accused, condemned and convicted for a number of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the recruitment of child soldiers and the use of anti-personnel mines.