The FARC on Thursday dismissed transcripts of alleged conversations between its leaders revealed by Colombian media late last week, which accuses the rebels of purposely escalating the civil conflict in the country.
In the statement released through the FARC’s website, Colombia’s largest guerrilla group said that the revelations were “perverse” and denounced the media for “not even trying to verify the authenticity of the transcripts” allegedly gathered by the country’s military intelligence.
The guerrilla group added that the “false revelations” were an attempt to derail the peace talks and defame the FARC “by the commanders of the Colombian military, who insist on continuing a war that enriches them.”
The subject of intelligence gathering has been a problematic issue for the Colombian government in the last couple of week as allegations accused the military of wiretapping politicians, journalists, and the peace delegations of both sides currently in Cuba.
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Transcripts of wiretaps revealed by local station Blu Radio on the 14 of February disclosed conversations where the FARC’s highest military commander Rodrigo Londoño Echeverry, alias “Timochenko”, allegedly ordered members of the group to increase “violent acts” in the country.
The conversations, which allegedly took place in October 2013, also divulged conversations of leaders acknowledging recent bombings and kidnappings conducted by the group and quoted Timochenko as stating that “in no moment are we saying that we will put down our arms.”
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According to the FARC, the released transcripts coincide with a recent statement made by the peace delegations in Cuba that both sides were making progress on the issues of illicit drugs and drug trafficking “which obviously arouses optimism among all Colombians who yearn for the realization of a political settlement to the conflict.”
The current peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC — which reportedly continues to kidnap and conduct drug trafficking operations throughout the country — looks to put an end to the country’s five-decade long conflict