Prominent FARC leader “Mono Jojoy” on Saturday rejected a call from the commander of Colombia’s armed forces to surrender himself to justice. In a letter, the guerrilla veteran told General Freddy Padilla: thanks, but no thanks.
Mono Jojoy is commander of the FARC’s Eastern Bloc, and is thought to be in charge of the group’s hostages. The armed forces, which have long been engaged in a manhunt for one of the FARC’s most prominent commanders, had called on Mono Jojoy to surrender.
“Regardless of how little we know you, Mr. Padilla de Leon, in all sincerity, without hatred or resentment, and with the respect all revolutionaries have for their opponents, I answer: No, thank you very much, General,” the FARC commander was quoted by leftist press agency Anncol as responding.
Instead, the FARC commander vowed to continue the rebels’ battle against the state.
“We have fought and we will continue to do so, with courage, dedication and sacrifice, to overthrow this rotten system of the oligarchs and construct a different social order, or by reaching agreements to help build a society where we all fit.”