RE: Colombia

["Michael Jovic" <Mike_Jovic@xxxxxxx>]

Comrade,

Not sure if the following will help, but here is what i received in my
mailbox. It might be worth dropping reuters a line?

Mike Jovic
Hertfordshire, England

 ----------
  Subject: INTERNET PLUG PULLED ON COLOMBIAN GUERILLAS
  Date: 27 September 1996 15:10
  Thursday September 26 3:05 PM EDT
  Internet plug pulled on Colombia's guerrillas

     BOGOTA, Colombia - A Colombian guerrilla group currently involved in a
     bloody offensive in the mountains and jungles, suffered a setback in
     its propaganda battle when its new-tech voice on the Internet was
     mysteriously silenced.

     The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has
     periodically paralyzed half the country with road blocks, found its
     route to the information superhighway barred.

     The Communist insurgents, who rose up in arms in 1964, embraced new
     technology last year in their fight to overthrow the government by
     launching a home page on the Internet.

     But in unexplained circumstances, which a spokeswoman for the Mexico
     City-based Internet provider Teesnet said may or may not be linked to
     external pressures, the plug was pulled on the service Monday -- a day
     after being publicized in Colombia's leading daily, El Tiempo.

     The FARC's Mexico City-based international spokesman Marco LeDon
     CalarcDa admitted the loss of the Internet page was a serious reversal
     but vowed the computer-age conflict was far from over.

     "This is an attack on freedom of expression because we were not doing
     anything illegal. I cannot say exactly how it happened but the hand of
     the Colombian government is in this," he said.

     "The FARC is used to difficulties and this is just the latest
     challenge. One way or another we will get back on to the Internet."

     The Colombian guerrillas used their worldwide web site to publish
     their political magazine Resistencia, whose distribution is banned in
     Colombia, and to offer explanations about their latest armed actions.

     FARC, labeled narcoguerrillas since the 1980s when U.S. ambassador
     Lewis Tambs highlighted the group's alleged connections with
     Colombia's drugs trade, have been dubbed Cyberspace guerrillas since
     their appearance on the Internet.

     "Cyberspace guerrillas may seem a fun name but I think it is
     pejorative and belittles what we're doing," said LeDon CalarcDa. "We
     are looking to topple the government and set up a new Colombia.

     "Using weapons naturally comes within the logic of the armed struggle.
     Just fighting through the Internet would be like shooting rubber
     bullets. Not using it would be like continuing to fight the army with
     a 12-bore shotgun," he said.

     In the four weeks since the FARC unleashed its latest offensive with
     an attack on a jungle base in southern Putumayo province, more than
     150 soldiers, police and civilians have died.

     Copyright, Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved
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----------
From:   owner-marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Chris Burford
Sent:   01 October 1996 06:59
To:     marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc:     cburford@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject:        Colombia

Many thanks to PO for posting this report.

A week or two ago I thought I heard the BBC report
that the National Liberation Army had declared war
nationwide war in some form against the government.

Does anyone have information on the political aims of
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the
National Liberation Army (ELN) mentioned in PO's
report, including what their answer is to the
neo-liberal policies being imposed by the government
under pressure from the IMF and US/western imperialism?

Chris

PS. Does anyone have details of the peace agreement
recently reported as signed in Guatemala?


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