Colombia's guerrilla war

Since the 1960’s my parents have been fighting against the government in the largest Colombian revolutionary group, FARC. They say we fight against the rich people, the higher classes because they have always and will always discriminate us. My parents met each other in 1969, when they were in their twenties. Now they both have leading positions in this organization. The day I was born, I was immediately enlisted as a member, along with my twin sister and like my two older brothers had before me. Together we have been opposing the wealthy people of Colombia, both as members of the organization and as a family. Our values, opinions and actions are always rooted in the strong bond to FARC and especially the former leader Jojoy. He and my father were very close. Approximately one month ago, Jojoy was captured and later killed by governmental forces. Since that day, the 22^nd of September, I have been thinking – reflecting about the core values of our cause. Is what we do, the ransom kidnapping and dealing of drugs, is that right? Because if it’s not I’ve certainly been living a lie for the last eighteen years. These things are what we make a living of, and we would die without these incomes.

But I have come to a decision. A mother doesn’t deserve to have her son kidnapped and then being tricked for hundreds of thousands American dollars. A husband does certainly not deserve to lose his wife either. And there’s really no good sides to dealing drugs, even though about 90% of all drugs that are brought across the borders of the USA comes from Colombia. The good side of this is obvously the money, which you could make other ways. Therefore I have come to this choice of publishing my opinion of FARC. It is wrong. It’s destroying countless lives every year in a revolutionary mess of a battle which has no end in sight. Realizing this is deeply disturbing to me, because by this I am hurting the only people I’ve known my entire life. This realization may also cause a deep and devastating subversion of my life.

My family, my friends, I have no intentions to go against you. Kidnapping and drug dealing will do no good, and will not support our cause. We will get no closer to wash out the borders between rich and poor – we are rather helping the society on its way to more extreme segregation. After Jojoy died the organization is merely existing of infuriate violated insurrectionists, which really doesn’t contribute to anything but damage. 

I’ve lost count of how many families we’ve tricked, and sadly how many civilians who have been killed or hurt in the process – wives, siblings, and children. There are so many that I can’t put the right words together to exactly describe how I feel. My decision is very difficult and my opinion differentiated. The whole situation ticks me off, because speaking up will hurt my closest family and friends for sure. But on the other hand I can’t imagine not telling anyone what I really feel, what I observe every single day. We must prevent the progressing expansion, although the only way we can succeed is if we agree on this together, and work together. If we collectively work towards the same thing, we will eventually achieve our mutual goal.

We need to cooperate with the government, not counteract them. Rather than wage war we should bring peace, we should be the first of the two counterparts to suggest we may shake hands. For the first time since the late 60’s we could see the end of this. I do pray for it to happen, one day. But frankly I can’t wrap my mind around that it actually can be accomplished. It just seems completely impossible. Nevertheless I will keep on walking on the road towards utter satisfaction, which for me is unflustered solidarity not only within FARC – but also between the present enemies of today. It’s said that you are your own enemy, and quite frank it fits perfectly well in this setting. 

If FARC continues in this pattern it will prove self-destructive and fatal for civilians as well as for members of the organization. Therefore I pray that someone dear to me will stand together with me in this case although I cannot allow myself to hope for it. We have to stop this drug dealing, kidnapping organization once and for all, and rather stand together in solidarity.

Maybe I am just a dreamer. At least I pray I’m of the altering kind.