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FARC and ELN May Join Forces
December 17, 2009 By Andrew OReilly
In a statement posted on the website of Colombia’s Anncol news service, The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) threatened to join forces in their fight against Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and “North American Imperialism.”
“We report that we have met in an environment of fraternity and camaraderie that has permitted us to move forward with sincerity and transparency,” the joint statement said, adding, “Likewise we undertake the difficulties that have been presented between the two organizations.”
The two groups, who in the past wrestled with ideological disparity, seem to be putting their differences aside. The FARC has a Marxist-Leninist background, while the ELN, formed by Catholic priests, has ideological beliefs rooted in liberation theology.
The statement goes on to criticize the increase of troop numbers in Afghanistan by the United States as well as the U.S-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement that will give the U.S. access to seven Colombian military bases.
In response to these advances, the statement says the guerilla movements plan “to rescue the flag of peace in Colombia as a commitment to the whole continent.”
The FARC and ELN released the statement minutes after the Colombian Air Force announced it had killed a FARC commander and nine of his bodyguards during a bombing raid in the northwestern part of the country, according to Reuters.
To read the complete statement in Spanish, visit Anncol’s website.
