FARC closed to the end? Not yet…

Michael Shifter, an expert on Latin American politics at the Inter-American Dialogue, says to NEWSWEEK’s Katie Paul that FARC’s struggle against the Colombians, it’s basically over. Michael Shifter is not alone in declaring the nera end of FARC. Many opinion makes around the world agreed in interpreting the spectacular rescue of Ingrid Betancourt as a clear sign that FARC lost the war. But such and analysis discloses lack of knowledge about the history of the guerrilla movement and Colombia. FARC’s future existence is namely something very important for the Colombian army, its generals and Alvaro Uribe’s government. Without FARC, the generals would loose the main excuse to occupy the country and hunt those groups within the civilian population who for year have been starving for social justice. Fascism is the ideological ground on which the military power’s “democratic” repression is built. And the central pillar holding up the structure is the FARC-guerrillas and the fight against them. Take away the pillar and the whole construction will collapse. As the Colombian journalist Maria Jimena Duzán states in today’s issue of the weekly Semana: President Alvaro Uribe became the powerful politician he is today thanks to FARC. The same applies to Ingrid Betancourt. President Uribe was an irrelevant, crooked province legislator until the day the FARC killed his father. Ingrid Betancourt was before the kidnapping just one of several young, blaring and in reality insignificant dolphins from the influential, affluent families, which every four years get elected or buy a chair in the congress or senate. Without FARC’s brutal treatment, none of them would be where they are today. I also wish the elimination of FARC. But I’m not a dreamer. FARC has many years of “fighting” ahead. The guerrillas will continue to exist as long as it is convenient to the power elites and the different syndicates controlling Colombia. As The Boston Globe’s editorial puts it: ”In Colombia, the national rescue mission isn’t over yet”.

FARC cerca del final? Todavia no…

Muchos columnistas y analistas alrededor del mundo interpretan la liberación espectacular de Ingrid Betancourt como un signo claro de que la guerrilla de las FARC estan llegando a su final. Pero ese análisis revela una cierta ignorancia sobre la historia del movimiento guerrillero y de Colombia. Asegurar la futura exitencia de las FARC es algo muy importante para las fuerzas armadas, sus generales y el presidente Alvaro Uribe.

Sin las FARC presentes, los generales perderian la excusa principal para ocupar el país y perseguir los sectores de la población civil que durante años han exigido justicia social. El facismo es la base ideológica sobre la cual el despotismo “democrático” de los militares ha sido construido. Y el pilar central que aguanta el peso de la construcción es la guerrilla de las FARC y la lucha contra esta. Le quitas ese pilar y todo se viene abajo.

Porque así como la periodista Maria Jimena Duzán lo explica hoy en Semana: el president Alvaro Uribe se convirtió en el politico poderoso que es hoy gracias a las FARC. Lo mismo vale en el caso de Ingrid Betancourt.

El presidente era simplemente un político de provincia, insignificante y corrupto, hasta el momento en que su padre fue asesinado por la guerrilla. Ingrid Betancourt era antes del secuestro sólo uno de varios delfines, — jóvenes, gritones y políticamente triviales – pertenecientes a las familias prominentes y ricas del país, que cada cuatro años son elejidos a o se compran una silla en el congreso o el senado. Sin el tratamiento inhumano de las FARC, ninguno de los dos estaría dónde están hoy.

Yo también quiero que esa guerrilla se acabe pronto. Pero no me hago ilusiones. Las FARC tienen adelante muchos años más de “lucha”. Esa guerrilla va a continuar existiendo siempre que sea lo que le favorezca a las élites de poder y los diferentes carteles que controlan Colombia. Como la editorial del periódico americano The Boston Globe lo denuncia: ”In Colombia, the national rescue mission isn’t over yet”. 

FARC nära slutet? Inte ännu…

En hel del opinionsbildare runtom i världen är rörande överens om att tolka den spektakulära befrielsen av Ingrid Betancourt, som ett tydligt tecken på att FARC-gerillan är nära slutet. Men en sådan tolkning tyder endast på bristande kunskap i gerillarörelsens och Colombias historia. FARC:s fortsatta existens är nämligen något oerhört viktigt för den colombianska armén, dess generaler och regeringen under Alvaro Uribes ledning.

Utan FARC skulle generalerna gå miste om ursäkten för att kunna ockupera landet och förfölja de delar av den civila befolkningen som i åratal har hungrat efter social rättvisa. Fascismen är den ideologiska grunden på vilken militärmaktens ”demokratiska” despotism är uppbyggd. Och den centrala pelare som håller bygget på plats är FARC-gerillan och kampen mot dem. Tar du bort pelaren och hela verket raseras.

 

Som den colombianska journalisten Maria Jimena Duzán påpekar i dagens nummer av veckotidskriften Semana: Presidenten Alvaro Uribe blev den mäktiga politikern han är i dag tack vare FARC. Samma sak gäller för Ingrid Betancourt.

 

Presidenten var en obetydlig, korrupt provinspolitiker fram till dess att hans far blev mördad av gerillan. Ingrid Betancourt var före kidnappningen endast en av flera unga, ettriga och i praktiken obetydliga strebrar från landets förmögna, prominenta familjer, som var fjärde år väljs till eller köper sig en stol i kongressen eller senaten.

Utan FARC:s obarmhärtiga behandling skulle ingen av dem befinna sig där de är i dag.

 

Jag vill också se att FARC försvinner snarast möjligt. Men jag är inte någon dagdrömmare. Jag vet att FARC har många år kvar av ”kamp” framför sig. Gerillan kommer utan tvekan att fortsätta existera så länge det gagnar makteliten och de olika syndikat som styr Colombia. Resan mot fred är fortfarande lång, som tidningen The Boston Globes ledare summerar det: ”In Colombia, the national rescue mission isn’t over yet”.

Ingrid Betancourt for president!

 What a wonderful day!

Firstly, my mother called me this morning to tell me my sister’s third boy has arrived to this magic world.

Secondly, my brother has just called to tell me Ingrid Betancourt is free again.

I’m very happy! I do not even know what to say! It’s long time ago I felt this way.

I hope this is going to change the political situation in Colombia – I certainly hope this is going to stop the president Alvaro Uribe’s third consecutive attempt to stay in power.

Colombia does not need him anymore. The country needs Ingrid Betancourt back in the business of politics. I hope she has enough strength to do it.

Last April I travelled to Colombia and had the opportunity to interview Clara Rojas, who was Ingrid Betancourt’s political partner and for many years a FARC-prisoner as well, and I must say she made a great impression on me. I was completely fascinated by the energy and clarity of her words.

I think the two of them are capable to conduct Colombia’s destiny away from hundred years of corruption and state collapse. They together are undoubtedly stronger than thousand crooks of the kind of Alvaro Uribe and their paramilitary friends. VIVA COLOMBIA! 

How evil can a man be?

Anders Eklund, the murderer of both 10 years old girl Engla Juncosa and the 31 years old Pernilla Hellgren, is not crazy at all, according to specialists at the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden (Socialstyrelsen).

 

Anders Eklund risks now to be locked up for life. In September 2007, 160 prisoners were currently serving life, 5 of whom are women. The oldest life prisoner is 79 years old and the youngest 23 years old, according to the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (kriminalvården).

 

In the Swedish prison system, it is the actual deprivation of liberty and not the prison operations that make up the punishment. Instead, the time in prison should be used to reduce the risk of reoffending by creating opportunities for the prisoner to abstain from a criminal life once out of prison.

 

The question is how an evil man like Anders Eklund can be helped? What kind of opportunities the prison system can offer to such a slaughterer? Will he ever become a better human being? I hope so, even if I strongly doubt it… What I really hope the most is that the victims of his horrible crimes, meaning the parents and relatives of Engla and Pernilla, someday get enough peace in their hurted souls.