COLOMBIA
Joint communiqué of the FARC-EP & ELN
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) and the National Liberation
Army of Colombia (ELN) inform the Colombian and Latin American
people that:
We, the leadership of both organizations, met recently in
the mountains of Colombia in an atmosphere of camaraderie,
fraternity and mutual respect, fully agreeing in:
1. Characterizing the current regime of Uribe Velez as the
enemy of peace, a warmonger by conviction, the generator of
misery for the broad majority of the people, and a comprador
carrying out imper ialist policy for our peoples and
nations.
2. Because of this character, we confirm that while the
illegitimate government of Alvaro Uribe Velez persists with its
fascist and militarist policies, we will not proceed with any
process of political rapprochement and national dialogue.
3. Nevertheless, we reiterate our commitment to peace and
the pursuit of poli tical solutions to the social and armed
conflict that is bleeding our Colombia, and for this aim we
will persist in:
* Pushing forward all the political processes that favour
peace with social justice and the pursuit of political
alternatives in opposition to Plan Colombia and the FTAA.
* Confirming the policy of an exchange of the prisoners of
war and political detainees being held by the sides.
* Supporting the struggles of the Colombian people against
the disastrous privatizations, the repression of all just
social protest, the cutting of pension rights, the fiscal
adjustment program, and in defense of the public wealth and
national sovereignty.
4. We call upon the Colombian people and international
public opinion to mobilize and denounce the anti-democratic
policies of the current government that aims to cut the few
civil, citizen, democratic and political freedoms, through
application of the anti-terrorist statute, the policy of
"Democratic Security," and the embroiling of the civilian
population in the war.
5. We reject the Referendum, called by the regime for the
coming days in order to use it to strengthen state terrorism,
militarist authoritarianism and the surrender of our national
sovereignty. In the face of the present social and political
crisis we Colombians are suffering, we reaffirm that all the
democratic, patriotic, revolutionary and guerrilla forces are
compelled to work for the formation and construction of a new
democratic and patriotic government to once and for all face
the process of national reconstruction and unity within a
framework of defense of our sovereignty and of the dignity of
the majority of the people. Committed as we are to make of
Colombia a nation that is just for all; we of the FARC-EP and
the ELN will persist with renewed strength and revolutionary
enthusiasm on the roads blazed during our 39 years of
existence, holding high the banners of unity, patriotism and
anti-imperialism.
Against imperialism, for the nation, against the oligarchy,
for the people until final victory.
Colombia for the workers,
Not one step back. Liberation or death.
For the FARC-EP
The Secretariat of the General Staff
For the ELN
Central Command
Mountains of Colombia,
July 13, 2003
Reprinted from the Sept. 25, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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