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| Colombia’s Former FARC Guerrilla Leader Calls for Return to War | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| MEDELLÍN, Colombia — A former top commander of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, vowed a return to war and issued a new call to arms on Thursday, almost three years after the rebels signed a peace deal to disarm. | MEDELLÍN, Colombia — A former top commander of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, vowed a return to war and issued a new call to arms on Thursday, almost three years after the rebels signed a peace deal to disarm. |
| The commander, whose real name is Luciano Marín but is known by the alias Iván Márquez said in a video that his group, known as FARC, would return to fighting because the government had not honored the agreement. | The commander, whose real name is Luciano Marín but is known by the alias Iván Márquez said in a video that his group, known as FARC, would return to fighting because the government had not honored the agreement. |
| Mr. Márquez’s announcement could signal a shattering of the peace agreement, which raised hopes in Colombia and the region for the end of more than 50 years of war that left at least 220,000 dead. | Mr. Márquez’s announcement could signal a shattering of the peace agreement, which raised hopes in Colombia and the region for the end of more than 50 years of war that left at least 220,000 dead. |
| He was an important part of the peace talks three years ago, and shook hands with the chief negotiator for the Colombian government when the accord was signed. Now, by turning away from the deal, he could have an equally important role in unifying dissident FARC guerrilla fighters who have already returned to arms — and in reaching out to another guerrilla group. | He was an important part of the peace talks three years ago, and shook hands with the chief negotiator for the Colombian government when the accord was signed. Now, by turning away from the deal, he could have an equally important role in unifying dissident FARC guerrilla fighters who have already returned to arms — and in reaching out to another guerrilla group. |
| “Today the risk is returning to armed, political conflict,” said Ariel Ávila, the deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, a Colombian think tank. “What we had hoped to see was an end to politics justifying violence — now we are looking at a new guerrilla war.” | “Today the risk is returning to armed, political conflict,” said Ariel Ávila, the deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, a Colombian think tank. “What we had hoped to see was an end to politics justifying violence — now we are looking at a new guerrilla war.” |
| In the video, Mr. Márquez called for “a new phase of the struggle” for the group under “the universal right that all people have to raise arms against oppression.” | In the video, Mr. Márquez called for “a new phase of the struggle” for the group under “the universal right that all people have to raise arms against oppression.” |
| There was no immediate reaction from the Colombian government. | There was no immediate reaction from the Colombian government. |
| In the video, Mr. Márquez appears alongside two other rebel commanders whose whereabouts had been unknown. All appeared armed and in uniform, flanked by other rebels in what seemed to be a new guerrilla camp in the jungle. | In the video, Mr. Márquez appears alongside two other rebel commanders whose whereabouts had been unknown. All appeared armed and in uniform, flanked by other rebels in what seemed to be a new guerrilla camp in the jungle. |
| Three years ago next month, FARC signed a peace deal with the government meant to end a 52-year war that displaced millions from their homes. Mr. Márquez had been one of the negotiators of the accords, which were hammered out over years in Cuba. | Three years ago next month, FARC signed a peace deal with the government meant to end a 52-year war that displaced millions from their homes. Mr. Márquez had been one of the negotiators of the accords, which were hammered out over years in Cuba. |
| The call to arms marked one of the biggest blows yet to the accords, which raised hopes for a lasting peace when the rebels initially disarmed and reorganized as a political party. But the agreement was steadily undercut as both the government and former fighters failed to make good on their promises to each other. | The call to arms marked one of the biggest blows yet to the accords, which raised hopes for a lasting peace when the rebels initially disarmed and reorganized as a political party. But the agreement was steadily undercut as both the government and former fighters failed to make good on their promises to each other. |
| The problems are most evident in the large number of rebels who have returned to fighting and recruiting new members — which some estimates put at as many as 3,000 fighters. | The problems are most evident in the large number of rebels who have returned to fighting and recruiting new members — which some estimates put at as many as 3,000 fighters. |
| [Although Colombia’s peace deal promised a new era, at least 500 activists and community leaders have been killed.] | [Although Colombia’s peace deal promised a new era, at least 500 activists and community leaders have been killed.] |
| The government has said that these so-called dissident rebels seek the profits of the cocaine trade they once controlled. | The government has said that these so-called dissident rebels seek the profits of the cocaine trade they once controlled. |
| But the rebels themselves said that they had taken up arms again to fight paramilitary groups, and that the government had not lived up to its pledges to protect them and their families in civilian life. At least 120 rebels have been killed since the peace deal was signed. | But the rebels themselves said that they had taken up arms again to fight paramilitary groups, and that the government had not lived up to its pledges to protect them and their families in civilian life. At least 120 rebels have been killed since the peace deal was signed. |
| Mr. Márquez on Thursday laid blame on the government and returned to the familiar language of class struggle championed by his Marxist movement. | Mr. Márquez on Thursday laid blame on the government and returned to the familiar language of class struggle championed by his Marxist movement. |
| “This is a continuation of the guerrilla struggle in response to the state’s betrayal of the Havana accords — it’s the march of Colombia’s poor, ignored and despised, toward justice, which glimmers in the hills of the future,” he said. | “This is a continuation of the guerrilla struggle in response to the state’s betrayal of the Havana accords — it’s the march of Colombia’s poor, ignored and despised, toward justice, which glimmers in the hills of the future,” he said. |
| Mr. Márquez appeared to offer olive branches to some Colombians, saying his group would not attack soldiers or police officers who were “respectful to popular interests,” and would eschew kidnappings for ransom as a source of income. | Mr. Márquez appeared to offer olive branches to some Colombians, saying his group would not attack soldiers or police officers who were “respectful to popular interests,” and would eschew kidnappings for ransom as a source of income. |
| He did indicate, however, that he had plans to work with the country’s most violent rebel groups, such as the National Liberation Army, which the authorities blame for a car bombing that killed 22 people, including the bomber, in the capital this year. | He did indicate, however, that he had plans to work with the country’s most violent rebel groups, such as the National Liberation Army, which the authorities blame for a car bombing that killed 22 people, including the bomber, in the capital this year. |
| Mr. Márquez remains a powerful figure among former rebels, and his call for a new war has been long feared in Colombia. He expressed doubts about making peace with the government even as talks were underway, and after the deal was signed he disappeared from public view, refusing to take a Senate seat promised to the rebels in an apparent rejection of a crucial part of the deal. | Mr. Márquez remains a powerful figure among former rebels, and his call for a new war has been long feared in Colombia. He expressed doubts about making peace with the government even as talks were underway, and after the deal was signed he disappeared from public view, refusing to take a Senate seat promised to the rebels in an apparent rejection of a crucial part of the deal. |
| Many Colombian voters became disenchanted with the deal as well, at first voting against it in a referendum and then electing President Iván Duque, whose right-wing party has argued that the agreement was too soft on the rebels and needed to be changed. | Many Colombian voters became disenchanted with the deal as well, at first voting against it in a referendum and then electing President Iván Duque, whose right-wing party has argued that the agreement was too soft on the rebels and needed to be changed. |
| Since taking office, Mr. Duque has proposed an overhaul of a special justice system the rebels had agreed to enter into, on the condition that their confessions would not result in jail sentences, raising fears the new president was seeking to imprison commanders. | Since taking office, Mr. Duque has proposed an overhaul of a special justice system the rebels had agreed to enter into, on the condition that their confessions would not result in jail sentences, raising fears the new president was seeking to imprison commanders. |
| These concerns were heightened when Mr. Duque called for Jesús Santrich, a former commander who had been jailed on drug trafficking charges, to be imprisoned after the country’s top court ordered him released for lack of evidence. Mr. Santrich had also vanished from public view. | These concerns were heightened when Mr. Duque called for Jesús Santrich, a former commander who had been jailed on drug trafficking charges, to be imprisoned after the country’s top court ordered him released for lack of evidence. Mr. Santrich had also vanished from public view. |
| On Thursday he appeared again — this time alongside Mr. Márquez, calling for rebellion. | On Thursday he appeared again — this time alongside Mr. Márquez, calling for rebellion. |
| Two former officials who had negotiated the deal for the government, Sergio Jaramillo and Humberto de la Calle, issued a statement condemning Mr. Márquez’s call to arms, saying that a majority of guerrillas had chosen civilian life. | Two former officials who had negotiated the deal for the government, Sergio Jaramillo and Humberto de la Calle, issued a statement condemning Mr. Márquez’s call to arms, saying that a majority of guerrillas had chosen civilian life. |
| They also said the government shared the blame, however. | They also said the government shared the blame, however. |
| “Again and again, we told the government that its permanent attacks on the peace process and the risk to legal stability that come with it, could push commanders to make wrong decision,” they said. | “Again and again, we told the government that its permanent attacks on the peace process and the risk to legal stability that come with it, could push commanders to make wrong decision,” they said. |