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Colombia Hosts Unprecedented Protest Against FARC and Asks the World to Join Them

LatinaLista — Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez does say the darndest things.

Maybe it was because he felt invincible after helping arrange the release of two prominent female hostages by the Colombian terror group FARC earlier this month, but whatever it was, Chavez surprised the world when he declared that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) should be taken off the terrorist rolls of the world.
The majority of Colombians didn’t agree with him — especially the young people. As a result, on what started on the social network Facebook, Colombian youth organized an unprecedented protest to take place Monday, February 4.
The protest is for Colombians and people, in all corners of the world, to stand in solidarity against the recognition of FARC.


Chavez started this unprecedented global protest when he said:

They “are not any terrorist body, they are real armies that occupy territory in Colombia. They must be recognized, they are insurgent forces that have a political project … which here is respected.”

That they just happen to assassinate, kidnap, promote the drug trade, use children younger than 18-years-old in their armies and hold the entire country of Colombia under an umbrella of intimidation and fear is beside the point from Chavez’ perspective.
Needless to say, Chavez is in the minority when it comes to declaring FARC as nothing more than a grass-roots guerilla group fighting for an innocent cause.
Within days of Chavez’ declaration, people in Colombia spoke out against Chavez’ definition of FARC.
On Latina Lista, a regular contributor from Colombia immediately penned a post entitled: Mr. Chávez, We, The Generation of Fear, ask you: What is Terrorism?
The outrage hasn’t stopped since.

The indignation has grown over Chavez’ remarks to the point that there grew a need within Colombia to show FARC that after 40 years people are tired of living their lives wondering if they or someone they love will be kidnapped and spirited into the jungles or killed.
So on Monday, February 4, there will be a global march against FARC. The event is titled One Million Voices Against FARC.
But this event is no casual street protest. It is extremely sophisticated in its execution to show how serious the people are in their opposition to FARC.

The event web site is translated into several languages, wherever Colombians live in the world. There are detailed factsheets on why the march is taking place, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, special songs just for the march, downloadable images that can be printed out and placed on t-shirts, as well as, a detailed listing of sites around the world that will stand in solidarity with the Colombian people on this day.
Organizers are quick to point out that the march is not against Chavez but against FARC. In fact, it’s not against any political entity.

“This is a cause beyond all political interests or colors. It’s a humanitarian cause, encouraged by a simple sense of solidarity, for the sake and welfare of our citizens.”

Globally, the marches kick off at the same time — 12 Noon Colombian time.
It’s a global march to remind the leaders of the world that peace is a right to which everyone is entitled and no group has the right to hold another as hostages to fear.

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Comment(10)

  • Daniel Maldonado
    February 4, 2008 at 1:19 pm

    So, LL, what part of this post is representing the view of CHICANAS?
    Why don’t you just say that you are a neo-con and support the murder of children so long as they are on the opposite point of view?
    Brown, Arab, Injun etc etc.
    You love the EURO way on indigenous land, this is evident by your Nome de Plume, “Latina” ya ya.
    WTF do you think the Columbian gov has been up to all these years?
    Sponsoring “Brownies and Girl Scouts” for the POOOOOOOR?
    Look at the sir names of those young people. Just like Argentina’s so called “dirty War.”
    All ZIONIST.
    Wonderful.
    A PRO Euro Chicana. You have BALLS!

  • Marisa Treviño
    February 4, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    Daniel, Get over yourself mijo and put your anger towards a more constructive dialogue.

  • Antonio Gonzalez
    February 4, 2008 at 2:58 pm

    yOU ARE lATINA LISTA OR STUPID
    LATINA , THAT IS THE LAST
    SHOW IN BUSH-URIBE COLOMBIA.
    OPEN YOUR EYES MY FRIEND.

  • laura
    February 4, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    Hola Daniel, quero leer unos pensamientos serios.
    Every human life is precious.
    The lives of the victims of FARC were precious. So were the lives of the victims of the paramilitaries.
    Daniel, do you think the people who demonstrate are all just rich white landowners and their puppets? Have some respect for the need of people to raise their families in peace.

  • Marisa Treviño
    February 4, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    I never said it wasn’t. What the post is about is a great effort organized by young people who are showing the world they refuse to live their lives under a threat of intimidation and fear. Maybe it’s something we can take lessons from too.

  • Maldonado
    February 4, 2008 at 9:53 pm

    LL: “Daniel, Get over yourself mijo and put your anger towards a more constructive dialogue.”
    I don’t have anger. I have a BRAIN.
    Constructive dialog? HA! When the Euros and Khazars stop killing us I will.
    Yes, I believe we do not have enough discourse about the 7 year old boys working in the mines of Columbia.
    LL “What the post is about is a great effort organized by young people who are showing the world they refuse to live their lives under a threat of intimidation and fear. Maybe it’s something we can take lessons from too.”
    Maybe some of us have. maybe some of us are no longer afraid of the Khazar, or PAID by them.

  • Amy Winehouse
    February 4, 2008 at 11:49 pm

    laura:
    Hola Daniel, quero leer unos pensamientos serios.
    Every human life is precious.
    The lives of the victims of FARC were precious. So were the lives of the victims of the paramilitaries.
    Daniel, do you think the people who demonstrate are all just rich white landowners and their puppets? Have some respect for the need of people to raise their families in peace.
    OK

  • coach diesel
    February 5, 2008 at 9:12 am

    A couple of thoughts…
    As I may have mentioned while commenting here before, I come from a family that is mixed with several different latin identities, so it doesn’t make sense to ‘pick one’ and say OK…”I’m Cuban-American” or “I’m Colombiana” or “Puertorriqueña”, etc. Latina is good enough for me and so why should anyone else care how Marisa or myself for that matter, personally identify, culturally? I don’t try to tell other people why they’re wrong for identifying this way or that way so why should they?I hear from other latinas all the time about how they’re “pura salvadoran”. Who cares?! As if that makes you better somehow?
    Anyway, moving on to the Colombian side of my family, we have had three kidnappings, (THREE in one family!)-two cousins and one uncle with a severe heart condition. He was a caretaker of a property and the FARC marched him up a mountain, where he had a heart attack and died. This was murder. One of our cousins was kidnapped by FARC and let go after forced labor in one of their camps for several months. Another cousin was kidnapped and assaulted by a paramilitary group and has since disappeared again after her brief return to our family. Both FARC AND the paramilitaries (and gov’t that supports them) are worthless. If you don’t have personal experience with what you are talking about than maybe you should just STFU and listen, if you can’t talk sensitivly about the issue.I appreciate that Marisa attempts to keep things civil and balanced around here. Sorry if I wrecked that, BTW.

  • Marisa Treviño
    February 5, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    Coach Diesel, I don’t find your post offensive at all. In fact, it’s personal experiences like your own that bring greater depth to these discussions. Later on today, I will post something I am waiting for from one of our Colombian contributors regarding the march. She was there and can shed more light on it as well. Thanks again, Coach. I’m sorry to hear that your family has had this experience.

  • Daniel Maldonado
    February 5, 2008 at 3:29 pm

    I’m sure that by now FARC has, on occasion, adopted some of the tactics of the people that they set out to defend themselves from. That’s revolution.
    7 year old boys working in the mines of Columbia for the benefit of the Euro-elite is insane, unacceptable and inexcusable.
    Many of the officers in the Columbian army were trained at the School of the Americas.
    LL, do you have first hand knowledge of what’s going on in Columbia? If not, then the coach would like you to STFU. Maybe the coach thinks he or she is in Columbia and can tell this injun to shut up.
    And to the coach…
    Chicana – Latina is an oxymoron. Obviously you do not know what you are talking about so why dont you just STFU?
    LL: “Daniel, Get over yourself mijo and put your anger towards a more constructive dialogue.”
    constructive dialog^^
    LoL

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