Six United States congresspersons have stressed the importance of the death of rebel leader ‘Alfonso Cano’ as a sign that security in Colombia is improving, according to a report by new source CM&.
The delegation made the affirmation during a meeting with Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos to assess the implementation of the recently ratified U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA).
The congress persons believe that the death of the supreme FARC leader will result in increased foreign investment in the country because of an improved security image on the global stage.
Congressman David Dreier said “Cano was undoubtedly one of the toughest terrorists in Colombia so we hope that this is also representative of the path that Colombia will take in the future.”
Ecuadorean President Rafeal Correa is also hopeful that the death of the FARC leader will have positive regional implications, saying that there is now “hope of ending this conflict, that not only affects Colombia, but also other countries in the region.”
Correa hopes that the death of Alfonso Cano mean that “the members of the FARC will understand that in the 21st century, in the face of a democratic government such as in Colombia, that this path will not lead to social justice.”
President Santos called the death of Alfonso Cano the greatest blow ever to be dealt to the guerrilla organization.
It is yet to be seen how Cano’s death will affect the rebel group, but given that there are no obvious succesors to the FARC leadership, the appointment of a new leader without inciting internal conflict is bound to be a complicated process.