Chavez Ends Support Of FARC Rebels

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 6-9-2008 | Jeremy McDermott

[blam]

Chavez ends support of Farc rebels

By Jeremy McDermott in Medellin
Last Updated: 10:29PM BST 09/06/2008

Hugo Chavez said he was ending his support for Colombia's Marxist guerillas, robbing them of their most public and powerful ally.

Farc rebels on patrol. Such displays of strength may be a thing of the past after their main ally, Hugo Chavez, withdrew his support

The Venezuelan president said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia were "history", and called on them to release their hostages and end a decades-long war with the government.

"Enough of so much war, it is time to sit down and talk of peace," he said. "The guerrilla has passed into history.

"You in the Farc should know something: You have become an excuse for the empire to threaten all of us," he said, referring to the United States. "The day that peace arrives in Colombia, the empire will have no excuses."

He directly addressed the organisation's leader, Alfonso Cano, to tell him to release their hostages "in exchange for nothing".

The comments were a complete change of tack for Mr Chavez, who earlier this year asked the European Union to take the Farc off its list of terrorist organisations and recognise it as a legitimate guerrilla army.

The Colombian government, which accuses Mr Chavez of funding the Farc and giving it safe haven, welcomed the comments.

"He is a great defender and ally of the guerrillas, so it is very surprising," said Interior Minister Carlos Holguin. "But it's great, and I hope FARC hears him."

What might have prompted the change in heart are the contents of computers seized from guerrilla camp bombed in March by the Colombian air force in Ecuador.

Colombia troops violated Ecuadorean sovereignty to carry out the bombing raid, but killed the Farc's top commander, "Raul Reyes", and seized his corpse and three computers.

They allegedly contain proof that Mr Chavez gave the Farc $300 million and was exploring the possibilities of supplying them with weapons.

Hawks in Washington have already called for Venezuela to be added to the list of nations that sponsor terrorism, on which Mr Chavez's close allies Cuba and Iran lurk. However this is unlikely to happen, at least in the short term, as the US desperately needs Venezuela's oil.

Officially accusing Mr Chavez of supporting the Farc could involve applying economic sanctions, including a ban on dealing with Venezuelan companies, as is the case with Cuba.

While the Colombian government welcomed Mr Chavez's announcement, there was a more cynical tone coming out of the Defence Ministry.

"This is just rhetoric," said a source. "We know that he is continuing to help the Farc, perhaps more so than ever."

The Farc was formed as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party in the 1960s. Since then it has made increasing use of the cocaine trade to raise billions of dollars to fund its activities.

At present it has an estimated 9,000 fighters, and holds around 750 hostages.

Mr Chavez comments are just the latest in a series of setback that have the Farc reeling and put them in their most vulnerable position in 44 years of fighting.

In March their leader Manuel Marulanda died of a heart attack, aged 78. Before he died he saw two of the members of the guerrillas' seven-man ruling body, the Secretariat, killed.

[blam]

"Hawks in Washington have already called for Venezuela to be added to the list of nations that sponsor terrorism, on which Mr Chavez's close allies Cuba and Iran lurk. However this is unlikely to happen, at least in the short term, as the US desperately needs Venezuela's oil.

The US gets 14% of it's oil from Chavez...this represents 80% of Chavez's oil exports. Who needs who the most?

[Army Air Corps]

Sure he did. Pull the other leg.

[Cindy]

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2028036/posts?page=9#9

BAWAWA...hahahaha...lololololo....Hugo Chavez said whaaatttt?

Ok, seriously...

Sounds good...now, what’s really up with Hugo Chavez?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2027731/posts?page=9#9

9 posted on June 8, 2008 3:54:43 PM PDT by Cindy

[microgood]

The comments were a complete change of tack for Mr Chavez, who earlier this year asked the European Union to take the Farc off its list of terrorist organisations and recognise it as a legitimate guerrilla army.

As much of a whack job as Chavez is, he is right about this. The main reason they were designated as a terrorist organization was so the US could get around some legal hurdles related to Plan Columbia. As a guerilla organization, we were more limited in our ability to interfere with their internal politics. Once they were designated as terrorists, all the doors swung open.

[Bender2]

[mefistofelerevised]

Columbia gets more dirt on the scumbag, he robs Exxon and other oil companies, robs other businesses, foreign investment plummets,and inflation runs at 30 percent. The wealthy move their money out and invest in other countries. Is fatso starting to see the writing on the wall? Now he admits he supported farc. Terrorists who kidnap woman and the innocent. We'll see what happens, but if he backs away from farc they'll be short of cash and weapons. I like how he said to give up in return for nothing.

[marron]

Chavez is FARC. They bought him young and cheap, and when he took power in Venezuela, effectively they captured the country through him.

Until some other colonel finds the nerve to do something about it, Venezuela itself is FARC.

If he is smart, he’ll pull FARC back to their bases in Venezeuela until after the election. If McCain wins, absorb them into one or another of his various militias. If Obama wins, the war against Colombia continues unabated, with the certainty that victory is at hand.

[VeniVidiVici]

In other news, according to the Telegraph, Santa Claus is dead.

[Humble Servant]

” The US gets 14% of it’s oil from Chavez...this represents 80% of Chavez’s oil exports. Who needs who the most? “

Excellent point, blam. If you’re playing chess, better look at both sides of the board.