Peace on the Table: FARC

Peace on the Table: FARC

Peace on the Table
a summary of demands and proposals for peace from the various actors in the Peace Process

LAS FUERZAS ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS DE COLOMBIA - EJÉRCITO DEL PUEBLO . FARC - EP (THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA - THE PEOPLE'S ARMY)

I. PROPOSALS FOR THE NEGOTIATED POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT
A. Vision of the Conflict
B. Negotiation Criteria
1. Preparation of the Negotiation
a. Political Legitimacy
b. Security
c. Participation
2. Negotiated Political Settlement
C. Civilian Population
1. Recommendations to the Civilian Population
2. Rules of Behavior regarding the Masses

II. PROPOSALS ON FUNDAMENTAL TOPICS OF A NEGOTIATION AGENDA
A. Democracy
B. Functioning of the State
C. The Public Force
D. Socioeconomic Aspects
E. The Agrarian Issue
F. Natural Resources
G. Sovereignty
H. Drug Trafficking
I. Self-defense Groups and Convivir Private Security Groups

LAS FUERZAS ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS DE COLOMBIA - EJÉRCITO DEL PUEBLO . FARC - EP (THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA - THE PEOPLE'S ARMY)

I. PROPOSALS FOR THE NEGOTIATED POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT

A. Vision of the Conflict

In the "FARC-EP Guerrilla Movement Agrarian Program", proclaimed on July 20, 1964 during the armed struggle in Marquetalia, corrected and broadened by the FARC-EP VIII NATIONAL CONFERENCE held on April 2, 1993, this guerrilla organization gives a general presentation in which its vision on the Colombian conflict is stated.

"Comrades, peasants, workers, students, craftsmen, intellectuals, soldiers, policemen, patriot officers, Colombian men and women:

Victims of Five Wars

We are the nerve of a revolutionary movement that dates back to 1948. Since that year, the powerful force of large landed estate owners, large cattle breeders, important trade entrepreneurs, official political barons, and merchants of violence has been launched against us, peasants from the South Tolima, Huila and Cauca geopolitical Departments.

We have been the victims of the "merciless policy", held and practiced by the oligarchy in power. During the last 45 years, five wars have been fought against us: one, as of 1948; another, as of 1954; another, as of 1962; another, as of May 18, 1964, when the State High Command officially declared that said date was the initiation of the "Marquetalia Operation"; and, finally, the war that we have been fighting since December 9, 1990, when dictator Gaviria and the State Military High Command began the extermination operation against the FARC Secretariat in Casa Verde and the armed aggression against the people's movement throughout the country.

We have been the victims of the large landed estate owners' and the military's fury, because here, in this part of Colombia, the interests that prevail are those of the powerful land barons and those of this country's darkest reactionary forces. Therefore, we have had to suffer in flesh and spirit all the brutality of a rotten regime which springs out of the financial monopolies linked to imperialism.

A Dead End

That explains why in this war against us, American airplanes, High Commanding Officers and specialists are used. That is why 16,000 men armed with all types of weapons are launched against Marquetalia. That is why economic blockade, extermination sieges, air-land attack tactics as well as bacteriological war are used against us. That is why the Government, the High Military Command and Yankee imperialism are spending billions of pesos in weapons, ammunition, and payments to spies and informers. That is why the Government and the High Military Command pay bribes and corrupt minds, kill, persecute and imprison all Colombians that join us in our common struggle, thus becoming victims of a cruel, inhuman war of extermination.

We have knocked on every possible door, asking for help so that this anti-Communist crusade -a crusade against our people- would not lead us to a prolonged, bloody armed struggle.

We are revolutionary people struggling for a change of regime. Yet, we wanted and fought for that change, using the least painful manner for our people: the peaceful manner, the democratic manner of the masses. We were violently prevented from acting in this way by the official fascists who claimed the need to combat us as alleged "Independent Republics". However, since we are revolutionaries who, in one way or another, are determined to play out our role in History, we were forced to follow the other path: an armed revolution to fight for the power.

The present regime has incorporated open forms of fascism into its government system. The most provoking, adventurous men are at the command of the repressive forces. The official Armed Forces are putting into practice the National Security theory which is tantamount to terror, dirty war, para-militarism and death. This practice is sponsored and masterminded by the oligarchy and a group of High Commanding Officers who embrace the policy, tactics and strategy of the PREVENTIVE WAR AGAINST THE INTERNAL ENEMY, as a means to maintain the social discipline of the monopolies, and to allow the exploitation of our people and of our natural resources by imperialism and our Colombian rapacious, reactionary dominant class.

That is why this war has currently taken the form of a genuine national struggle which will necessarily lead the broadest possible majority of our people to join the combat against the military supporters of the regime.

That is why, the FARC-EP has become a political-military organization that espouses the Bolivarian philosophy and our people's libertarian traditions to struggle for power and attain the full exercise of Colombian national sovereignty and the implementation of the people's sovereignty. We fight for the establishment of a democratic political regime which guarantees peace with social justice, the respect for Human Rights and economic development with well-being for everyone of us who lives in Colombia". ⁵⁴

^{B.
Negotiation Criteria}

^{1.
Negotiation Preparation}

^{The
FARC-EP has, repeatedly, stated a series of proposals regarding the prior
conditions for a possible negotiated political settlement of the conflict.}

^{Such
prior conditions follow three criteria: political legitimacy, security
and participation:}

^{a.
Political Legitimacy}

^{Through
various documents and public statements, the FARC-EP have, repeatedly,
insisted on demanding that their political legitimacy be respected.}

^{"We
have asked that, when the Government, the military staff and the civilian
authorities refer to the insurgency through the mass media, they treat
them with due respect. Unnecessary epithets do not benefit the understanding
of the contending parties.}

^{We
have also urged the official suspension of reward advertisements for the
capture of the heads of the insurgency published in the media and those
secretly offered".}

^{Indeed,
pursuant to the decrees regarding "internal disturbance", any
Government or authority that uses epithets such as criminals, narcoguerrilla,
narcoterrorists, bandits, kidnappers, etc., loses its right to talk with
the insurgency in any setting, be it official or semi-official".55}

^{b.
Security}

^{"We
have asked the Government to withdraw its troops from the following four
municipalities: La Uribe, Mesetas, Vistahermosa and La Macarena. This
is necessary to facilitate the meeting of the official commissions of
both parties and of outstanding persons from the various social strata
willing to present their points of view regarding peace policies. For
these meetings to take place, all participants must enjoy full guaranties.
Currently, there are over one thousand municipalities in this country
that, for special circumstances, have no troops whatsoever. Why would
it be so difficult for the Government, for the sake of peace and political
disposition, to withdraw its troops from the above-mentioned municipalities?
That would allow the parties to begin the first talks. The Government
must stop using the excuse that such withdrawal is tantamount to a violation
of the country's sovereignty, Constitution and legislation ..., as if
we were a foreign occupation army". 56}

^{c.
Participation}

^{"I
believe that it is necessary to motivate and mobilize the civilian society
of which we the insurgency are part, to create a favorable atmosphere;
this would be obtained by depenalizing, in the new legislation, the holding
of talks between the personalities of the various political parties and
the insurgency. Under such conditions, neither they nor we would be in
danger during the talks; but, for this to happen, we need the public force
to be withdrawn from several municipalities". 57}

^{"We
maintain firm our will, commitment and capacity to struggle at the service
of the unity of all Colombians in the search for peace and, now as always
we insist on the need to hold meetings involving the FARC-EP and the representatives
of the society, meetings that would lead to a dialogue with representatives
of the State powers. But for this to happen, it is imperative to have
the necessary guarantees requiring the withdrawal of Government troops
from the municipalities of La Uribe, Mesetas, Vistahermosa, La Macarena
y San Vicente del Caguán". 58}

2. Negotiated Political Settlement

Concerning a political settlement of the conflict, Manuel Marulanda Vélez, says:

"I personally reaffirm the will, which we have always expressed through public documents, to find a political solution to the social and armed conflict that the country is presently going through; this conflict is, moreover, the result of a severe political crisis in the traditional political parties and in human values. In our efforts to find a political solution, we have approached different governments from the two traditional parties, but none of them have taken into account the people's cry seeking a solution other than the confrontation which affects Colombian society. The traditional political parties' main interest has always been to demobilize the insurgency rather than obtain a global solution for the political, economic, social and cultural inequalities that would eradicate the causes that have led to a conflict that has lasted for more than 32 years."⁵⁹

^{C.
Civilian Population}

^{Although
the FARC-EP do not use the terminology of International Humanitarian Law,
in some of their documents rules aiming at the protection of the civilian
population are laid down. In those documents criteria coinciding with
International Humanitarian Law basic principles are established, such
as distinction between combatants and noncombatants and immunity of the
civilian population.}

^{1.
Recommendations to the Civilian Population}

^{"1.
The civilian population shall deter the military and police from placing
their barracks near their homes or in populated areas.}

^{2.
The civilian population shall avoid their own private vehicles or public
transportation vehicles in service from being used by the military and
police. If owners or drivers are compelled, it is preferable to leave
the vehicle, give them the keys and demand that they sign a document in
which they assume total responsibility.}

^{3.
The civilian population shall refrain from boarding any type of military
vehicle.}

^{4.
The civilian vehicles driving on roads shall keep a minimum distance of
500 meters from military vehicles and convoys.}

^{5.
The civilian population shall refrain from acting as guides for Public
Forces patrols in rural zones.}

^{6.
The civilian population shall refrain from entering military garrisons
or police barracks or from sleeping within their premises.}

^{7.
In conflict zones, press and humanitarian organization vehicles shall
travel showing perfectly visible signs and at minimum speed". 60}

^{2.
Rules of Behavior regarding the Masses}

^{In
the first Summit of the Simon Bolivar Guerrilla Movement Coordinating
Body -summit named "Jacobo Arenas"-, the commanders of the coordinating
body called upon the Bolivarian commanders to comply with the various
rules of behavior regarding the masses. Among these rules, the following
are mentioned:}

^{-
We shall respect the population's political, philosophical and religious
ideas and attitudes, particularly the native indigenous communities'
and other ethnic minorities' culture and autonomy.

- We shall not prevent people from exerting their right to vote nor
compel them to vote.

- Commanders and combatants shall study and put into practice rules
of International Humanitarian Law applicable to the conditions of our
revolutionary war.

- In any case, our main principle is the respect for the right to life.}

^{II.
PROPOSALS ON FUNDAMENTAL TOPICS OF A NEGOTIATION AGENDA}

^{A.
Democracy}

"Drafting of a new Charter that will open the doors to democracy, through a National Constitution Drafting Assembly; this Assembly shall have the broad representation of the whole political spectrum, the Church, the working class, the peasantry and the insurgency; its members shall enjoy equal conditions."⁶¹

^{The
proposal aiming at conforming a broad political movement distinct in its
objectives and program goals is a necessity for the masses to freely express
their thoughts and needs through a political vehicle other than the two
traditional political parties -liberals and conservatives-. This movement
shall be of fully plural expression, so that ordinary people from the
different parties, people without a party, believers and non-believers,
different ethnic groups and native indigenous people can participate.
This movement shall embrace all of those interested in changing the fate
of our fatherland, so that the new generations of Colombians can benefit
from a democratic, sovereign country in which social justice exists, Human
Rights are respected, and the self-determination of neighboring countries
is allowed".62}

^{"[...]
given the present situation of the country, the convergence of the popular
rebellion and insurgency is indispensable and cannot be postponed any
longer.}

^{That
is why the FARC-EP shall launch in 1998 the Bolivarian Movement for
a New Colombia so as to contribute to the Colombians' organization
and struggle for a generous, democratic fatherland. This movement shall
have a combat program composed of 10 Points for a National Reconstruction
and Reconciliation Government.}

^{The
task of any process that is started must be the materialization of a National
Constitution Drafting Assembly aimed at changing Colombia's relations
of power in favor of the people's sectors".63}

^{B.
Functioning of the State}

^{"There
shall be National, regional and municipal democratic participation in
decisions endangering the future of society. The instruments of popular
supervision shall be strengthened. The Bureau for the Control of Public
Officials -"Procuraduría"- shall be made an independent
branch of the public power and the Nation's General "Procurador"
shall be appointed by popular vote. The Parliament shall have only one
chamber. The opposition and the minorities shall be given full political
and social rights and the State shall guarantee their access to the main
mass media. There shall be liberty of press. The electoral branch shall
be made independent. The members of the Supreme Court of Justice, the
Constitutional Court and the National Council of Magistrates shall be
elected through direct vote of all judges and magistrates throughout the
country. There shall be a moralization of the Public Administration and
of the State civilian and military institutions".64}

^{C.
The Public Force}

^{"The
State Military and National Defense doctrine shall be the same as the
one espoused by BOLIVAR. As the Liberator stated, 'The Army's task is
to protect our borders. May God preserve us from the Army turning their
arms against citizens'. The Armed Forces shall safeguard our national
sovereignty, shall be respectful of Human Rights and their budget and
size shall be in accordance with the situation of a country not at war
with its neighbors.}

^{The
National Police shall once again be dependent of the Ministry of Government;
it shall be restructured so that it fulfills its preventive function and
moralized and educated to respect Human Rights".65}

^{D.
Socioeconomic Aspects}

^{"Development
and economic modernization of the country shall be paired to social justice".
For the benefit of the country's and its regions' balanced socioeconomic
development, the State shall be the main owner and administrator of the
strategic sectors: power generation, communications, public utilities,
means of communication, ports and national resources.}

^{The
economic policy shall be primarily focused on broadening the internal
market, a self-sufficiency of food supply, permanently fostering production
and the promotion of small, middle and large private industry, self-management,
micro-companies and an economy with solidarity.}

^{The
State shall invest in strategic sectors of National industry and develop
a policy protecting these sectors. The official economic management shall
be characterized by its efficiency, ethics, productivity and high quality.
The professional associations, trade unions, popular organizations and
academic and scientific institutions shall participate in the decision-making
processes regarding the economic, social, power generation and strategic
investment policies.}

^{50%
of the National budget shall be invested in social well-being and, accordingly,
the Colombians' employment, salary, health, housing, education and leisure
shall be the center of the State's policies. To do so, our cultural and
democratic traditions shall be taken into account and the balance between
society and environment shall be guaranteed.}

^{10%
of the National budget shall be invested in scientific research.}

^{Those
having the largest wealth shall pay the highest taxes in order to make
the income redistribution effective. The value added tax shall only affect
luxury goods and services".66}

^{E.
The Agrarian Issue}

"We fight for an Agrarian Policy that hands over land taken from the large landed estates owners to the peasants. Accordingly, as of today, July 20, 1964, we are a guerrilla army struggling for the following agrarian program:

ONE: As an alternative to the Oligarchy's Deceitful Agrarian Policy, we propose an effective Revolutionary Agrarian Policy that radically changes the Colombian rural social structure by giving free land to the peasants that are laboring it or those willing to do so; this will be achieved by confiscating large landed estates for the working people.

The Revolutionary Agrarian Policy shall provide the beneficiary peasants with the necessary technical assistance, infrastructure, equipment and beasts of burden for convenient, profitable exploitation of the land. The Revolutionary Agrarian Policy is an indispensable condition to dramatically improve the material and cultural standard of living of the peasantry, to free it from unemployment, hunger, illiteracy and endemic diseases that affect its working capacity, to eradicate the hindrances of the large landed estate system and to encourage the development of the country's industrial and agricultural and livestock production. The Revolutionary Agrarian Policy shall confiscate lands occupied by imperialist American companies on whatever basis and whatever their activity might be.

TWO: The settlers, squatters, renters, lease holders, sharecroppers, tenant farmers who pay their rent in kind, and other types of workers of large landed estates and of Nationally owned lands shall receive the corresponding title of property of the lands they exploit. All types of reactionary land exploitation such as lease holding or land renting -be it in kind or in cash- shall be abolished.

A rural economic unit shall be created taking into account the fertility and localization of the parcel; in the case of plain lands near villages or towns, each parcel shall be at least 10 to 20 hectares in area; in other zones, it shall vary depending on its fertility and the communications network. All debt of peasants to usurers, speculators and official and semi-official credit institutions shall be condoned.

THREE: The Revolutionary Government shall respect the property of wealthy peasants who personally work their lands. The industrial forms of rural work shall be preserved. The large agricultural and livestock exploitation which due to socio-economic reasons must be maintained shall benefit the people's global planned development.

FOUR: The Revolutionary Government shall create a broad credit system providing payment facilities, seeds, technical assistance, tools, animals, farming implements, machinery, etc., to peasants, both on an individual basis and through all production cooperatives that are started during the process. A planned irrigation and electrification system and a network of official agricultural experimentation technique centers shall be created.

Health centers equipped to provide full attention to public health problems in rural zones shall be organized. The issue of peasant education and total eradication of illiteracy shall be dealt with and a scholarship program for technical education and higher learning shall be created for land workers' children. A vast program for peasant housing shall be organized and the construction of communication routes connecting rural production centers to consumption centers shall be undertaken.

FIVE: Base fair prices for agricultural and livestock products shall be guaranteed.

SIX: Native indigenous communities shall be protected. They shall be given enough land for their proper development and they shall be given back the land that the large landed estate owners have illegally taken from them. They shall also receive assistance to modernize their farming methods. The native indigenous communities shall enjoy all the benefits from the Revolutionary Agrarian Policy. The autonomous organization of those communities shall also be encouraged and their government institutions, life, culture, language and internal organization shall be respected.

SEVEN: The achievement of this Revolutionary Agrarian Program shall depend on the worker-peasant alliance as well as of the activity of all Colombians' United Front in their struggle for a regime change, which is the only means to guarantee the destruction of Colombia's old large landed estate structure. The implementation of this policy shall rely on the support of the large peasant masses which shall decidedly contribute to the destruction of the large landed estate structure. For that purpose, powerful peasant combat unions, strong trade unions, users' committees, and community boards shall be organized. Thus, this Program proposes, as a vital need, the fight for the creation of the broadest united front representing all the country's democratic, progressive and revolutionary forces. This united front shall permanently struggle until it ousts the oligarchic regime that cowtails to the Yankee imperialists who prevent the fulfillment of the Colombian people's aspiration.

EIGHT: When the proper time arrives, the FARC-EP shall enact the first Revolutionary Agrarian Policy Act. Accordingly, we invite peasants, workers, students, employees, craftsmen, small industrialists and merchants, the national bourgeoisie willing to fight imperialism, democratic and revolutionary intellectuals, all left and center oriented parties seeking a change for progress, to the great revolutionary, patriot fight for a Colombia for Colombians, for a national liberation democratic Government."⁶⁷

^{"The
Agrarian Policy shall make credit, technical assistance and marketing
available to everyone. It shall completely foster industry, as well as
production of agricultural and livestock sectors. It shall provide State
protection against unfair international competition.}

^{Every
region shall have its own development plan jointly drafted with community
organizations; this plan shall abolish large landed estate wherever it
remains, redistribute land, define an agrarian policy in which colonization
is rationalized and total destruction of our reserves is prevented. Additionally,
permanent aid to reach national and international markets shall be provided".68}

^{F.
Natural Resources}

^{"Natural
resources such as oil, gas, coal, gold, nickel, emeralds, etc., shall
be exploited for the benefit of the country and its regions. Contracts
that are harmful to Colombia celebrated with multinational corporations
shall be re-negotiated. The energy policy shall be planned by the National
Energy Commission in which the State, the regions and the sector workers
shall take part.}

^{More
refineries shall be built and the petrochemical industry shall be developed.
The Government shall be transparent when informing the community on the
terms of the existing contract for the exploitation of the Cusiana wells.
The reserve of five billion barrels of oil alone produced by these wells,
at today's prices and exchange rate, would produce $ 80 trillion Colombian
pesos, that is more than six times the 1993 National budget.}

^{Accordingly,
all Colombians shall know how and at what pace the Cusiana wells shall
be exploited and how their yield shall be invested in our general development
plans. We must "plant oil" for the coming generations, because
our crude belongs to all Colombians and so do its profits".69}

^{G.
Sovereignty}

^{"We
shall maintain international relations with all countries in the world
under the principles of respect for the peoples' self-determination and
mutual interest. Activities aiming at regional and Latin-American integration
shall be made a priority. The State's political commitments with other
States shall be respected. Military Covenants and interference of the
Powers in our internal matters shall be reviewed. The external debt shall
be re-negotiated, aiming at obtaining a 10 year-term moratorium".70}

^{H.
Drug Trafficking}

^{The
phenomenon of narcotic and hallucinogen production, commercialization
and consumption shall be correctly dealt with; this issue shall be understood
as a serious social problem that shall not be dealt with through military
methods; it requires attaining agreements in which the Nation and the
international community shall take part as well as committing the great
powers to tackle the issue, since they are the main sources of the world
drug demand".71}

^{"1.
Pursuant to our principles as well as to the revolutionary ethics and
moral guiding our actions, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
-The People's Army FARC-EP do not have any relation with drug traffickers
nor do they share profits nor do they trade with them. We reject drug
trafficking because it is a source of corruption, impunity, criminality,
social deterioration, among others, and because it particularly strikes
the whole world's youth.}

^{2.
Regarding drug trafficking and its ominous effects, the Eighth National
Guerrilla Conference (La Uribe, April 1993) defines drug trafficking as
a political, economic and social phenomenon that must be dealt with by
using measures of the same type without resorting to military repressive
action.}

^{3.
Consistent with the above-mentioned principles, we reject the extradition
of Nationals to be tried in other countries.}

^{4.
We call upon the legislative power to defend our National sovereignty
and the dignity of our fatherland from the open interference of the United
States empire. It shall do so by not approving the bill of law on extradition.}

^{5.
The alleged war against drug trafficking is politically manipulated by
the United States in order to further interfere in Latin American matters.
The result is that under the guise of this alleged war we are drawn back
to colonial forms of domination and dependence".72}

^{I.
Self-defense Groups and Convivir Private Security Groups}

^{"Paramilitary
groups and Convivir private security groups are the State's and
the regime's illegitimate children and shall be dismantled now.73}