Terrible the news about the killings of 17 Awá indians in the south west Nariño region of Colombia. Most probably the FARC did it. If even the former M19 guerrilla member and nowadays Nariño governor Antonio Navarro confirms it, it gets more probable. Human Rights Watch already condemned the act in a press release.
I don’t understand this latest cruelty of the FARC. They are trying to enter into new negotiations to exchange the policemen and soldiers in the jungle for guerrillas in prison. The members of civil society who are doing the effort with them – Colombians for Peace – are risking a lot, although they already reached the liberation of six hostages. The leader of Colombians for Peace, senator Piedad Córdoba, is one of the most criticized and hated politicians of Colombia.
She and Colombians for Peace are risking their reputation and their lives in order to get closer to peace. Because president Uribe has already told the country he thinks that they are the intellectual block of the FARC. He didn’t cowardly say it explicitly, but who else does he mean? Uribe knows that many people will agree with him on the issue. Because that’s the situation in the country: or you are with him and hate the left or you are with the left and hate him.
In this delicate situation the FARC commit a horrendous crime in the Awá community, that lives in one of the most violent regions of the country, and that has already lost a lot of lives, also because of the huge amount of landmines in the area. Are the Awá no people, People’s Army of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia?
It is a cruel and stupid crime. It gives fuel to those who are against the negotiations for a humanitarian agreement and for peace. It is an invitation to have a lot more Operations Jaque, which is not the interest of the FARC and it decreases severely the credibility of Piedad Córdoba and her Colombians for Peace. I don’t think the FARC want that either.
The United States embassador William Brownfield announced today that his government is willing to talk about involving Simon Trinidad and Sonia, two FARC members who are in a United States prison, in the humanitarian agreement. The FARC don’t deserve it.
Wies Ubags is a Dutch correspondent who works for media in her country. She also has her own weblog.