FARC
Open Letter to President Pastrana, January 20, 1999
San Vicente
del Caguán.
Mr. President,
- On January
8, one day after having initiated the talks between the Government and
the FARC in San Vicente del Caguán, disarmed Colombian civilians awoke
drowning in blood as a result of a massacre. The coordinated action
of the military and the paramilitary collected more than 200 innocent
victims in four days.
- This
calls the attention of complacent politicians, business owners and columnists,
some openly and legally demanding to equalize policy. They expressed
their demands to the paramilitaries and other groups without uttering
a single word, showing their silent complicity.
- The
sensible members of the national and international community don't understand
how the FARC can continue have dialogues directed at looking for coexistence
with the State. A State that argues the incapacity of the Public Force,
doesn't show efforts to dismantle or punish the leaders and actors of
the organizations who indiscriminately commit murders in the name of
their own State.
We demand
that the Government rule on efficient actions that work against these
murderers who are responsible for attacks on defenseless towns and communities.
Until
the National Government achieves the expected goals we consider it necessary
to freeze the initiated dialogues, leaving the proposals until we see
satisfactory action taken against the paramilitaries.
Sincerely:
Central
Command of the State
Manuel
Marulanda Vélez,
Alfonso Cano,
Raúl Reyes,
Timoleón Jiménez,
Iván Márquez,
Jorge Briceño
y
Efraín Guzmán
Mountains
of Colombia, January 18, 1999
