An ardent anti-capitalist political leader for Colombia’s left-wing guerrilla group, FARC, faced criticism on Friday after photos emerged of the guerrilla leader posing atop a Harley Davidson motorcycle, an iconic symbol of United States capitalism.
The photos of guerrilla leader “Ivan Marquez,” who is also the FARC’s lead negotiator in peace talks with the Colombian government, sparked outrage across social media due to the apparent hypocrisy represented in the photos, due to his anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist views.
PROFILE: Ivan Marquez
“Guerrillas wake up, while you eat shit in the bush, your commander rides Harley Davidsons and eats caviar in Cuba,” commented one irate member of the public.
Guerrillero despierte, mientras Ud come mier en el monte, su comandante anda en Harley Davidson y come caviar en Cuba twitter.com/BluradioCo/sta…
— Indignados Colombia (@ManosLimpiasCo) February 15, 2013
A new Harley Davidson motorcycle is said to cost at least $15,000, which some have observed should be out of the price range of most leftist rebels.
While the time and location of the photo has yet to be determined, the name of the state on the license plate of the jeep in the background reads ‘Carabobo’, which is located in northern Venezuela, and quite far from the country’s border with Colombia.
Semana magazine was given access to the photos by Colombia’s prosecutor general’s office, which found the images on computer hard drives that previously belonged to the FARC.
Peace talks between FARC and the Colombian government officially began in late 2012,
NEWS ARCHIVE: Peace Talks