A brief history of the terror group FARC and how it will receive an enormous boost if it is removed from a US terror list
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia or Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia better known as FARC is
Colombia's largest and most notorious terrorist group.
Founded by poor farmers and land workers in 1964,
FARC's main aim was to confront oppressive landowners, who exploited those who
toiled in their farms and on their properties. The systemic abuse caused an
astounding level of social and economic inequality.
FARC claimed to be inspired by the
Cuban revolution in the 1950s that demanded more rights and control for workers
over the land.
But it was soon hijacked by violent far-left rural guerrilla organizations. In time, it devolved to become the
armed wing of the Communist Party in Colombia that followed the militant far-left
Marxist-Leninist ideology.
Their modus operandi was forming small
tactical relatively independent factions that in turn make up larger fighting
units. The advantage was if one faction is compromised the rest remained
unaffected. These factions were controlled by a small group of commanders who
devised the overarching strategy of FARC.
Back in 2016, it was estimated that
there were between 6,000 and 7,000 active fighters within the ranks of the FARC
with almost 8,500 civilian supporters that function as their support network.
Human rights groups have accused the
FARC of kidnapping children of poor farmers and laborers, the very people they
claimed to stand for and drafting them into the armed wing of FARC.
FARC was also responsible for
conducting terror activities such as blowing
up oil pipelines, electricity pylons, bridges, social clubs, police stations, and even schools
The enormous amounts of Cocaine produced
in Colombia are FARC’s major source of fundraising. FARC has been actively
involved in drug trafficking, they also levy protection and operation 'taxes'
from drug traffickers.
FARC was also involved in the
kidnapping of thousands of civilians for ransom which along with extortion is
their main source of fundraising.
This has made FARC one of the most
well-funded terrorist movements in the world.
In 2016, the Colombian government erroneously
signed a peace deal with FARC, yet members of FARC continue being active. This
‘peace deal’ received $450m in
US aid during Obama years.
Obama even considered removing FARC
from the list of designated terrorist organizations. Obama had removed Cuba from
the Terror list despite aiding FARC in terror activities. President
Trump undid the change with Cuba.
But this ‘peace deal’ brought no
change at the grassroots.
Most FARC members, who claimed to break away from
the group continues with their terror activities. Some FARC members totally
focused on drug trafficking and other criminal
activities.
The perpetrators may not call themselves FARC but
their destructive actions continue to be the same.
FARC even entered electoral politics
in 2018, however, received a meager 0.33% of the vote.
A few months back, in September, FARC dissidents
were accused of the killings of five
people, including a teenager.
FARC have strayed several light-years away from their founding goals of empowering the persecuted.
Despite the
‘peace deal’, the violence, chaos, destruction, and mayhem continue. This makes the climate in Colombia very volatile and greatly harming the possibility of progress
or foreign investment.
Colombia has endured decades of unspeakable anguish
and torment due to the nefarious activities of this Marxist–Leninist
narco-terror group.
FARC was added to the Foreign Terrorist
Organizations in 1997.
When an organization is added to the
terror list, it means that US citizens are legally restricted from proving
any financial support, lodging, training, expert advice, false documentation or
identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal
substances, explosives, personnel.
Beyond the US, the ignominy of being
added to the terror list curbs any sort of financing. It deters any
interactions or transactions with named organizations. It also heightens public
awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations.
To sum it up the organization is
totally and completely isolated in every possible way.
Catastrophe has almost become Biden’s middle name,
it isn’t a question of if, but when and how Biden will lead the US into the
unchartered territory of despondency and suffering, owing to his ineptitude.
The most recent in the series of disasters is that
an unnamed “U.S. and congressional officials” sources have informed the Wall
Street Journal that Biden is planning to remove FARC from
America’s list of designated foreign terrorist groups.
Back in February, merely a month after occupying
the White House, Biden removed Iran-controlled
Houthis from the terrorism list causing the terror organization to
escalate their violence.
If Biden actually removes FARC from
the terror list, it will facilitate a fresh wave of support and funding from
organizations, individuals, and countries.
It will embolden them to engage
in more audacious terror activities which will destroy Colombia.
More narcotics will be transported all over the
world which will further exacerbate the very grave opioid crisis that has
killed hundreds of thousands of people.
FARC members may even be emboldened to function as
mercenaries, providing support to terror organizations all over the world.
Following the catastrophic withdrawal
from Afghanistan and this could be another instance when Biden will have blood
on his hands.
This potential move has received
severe criticism from Republicans.
We can only hope that Biden doesn’t
act on this atrocious, immoral, and almost evil idea of emboldening
and boosting a terror organization.
Comments
Post a Comment