Colombia: FARC say they will not be responsible for safety of Serpa's march
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Sep 15, 2001
Text of report by independent New Colombia News Agency (Anncol) web site; subheading in upper case as published
Anncol, 13 September 2001: We hereby inform our readers about a communique from the FARC-EP [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army] sent to our editorial room relating to the much-publicized march of Mr Serpa to Caguan.
Colombia's traditional political parties have taken advantage of the desire for peace of more than 30 million fellow Colombians to get votes and stay in power.
We attach below the communique sent by the FARC-EP's Southern Bloc:
COMMUNIQUE
The FARC-EP's Southern Bloc informs the public:
1. That Mr Serpa Uribe has organized a march to San Vicente del Caguan on 29 September to "tell a few truths to the FARC", because of the abuses that, according to him, they are perpetrating in the Demilitarized Zone [DMZ].
2. That Mr Serpa should know that here in San Vicente del Caguan there are no competent authorities to listen to him and answer his concerns. They are in Bogota; therefore, we consider that Mr Serpa's march should be instead to Narino Palace [presidential palace in Bogota].
3. That the FARC-EP will not be responsible for Mr Serpa's safety or for that of those accompanying him, especially after they have indicated that San Vicente del Caguan is a land of outlaws.
4. That, since he does not have a government programme which presents viable solutions for the serious crisis the country is facing, starting with the social and armed conflict, Mr Serpa has continuously criticized, in a systematic manner and with wholly demagogic and electoral intentions, the agreement signed between the FARC-EP and the government of President Pastrana. He has also slandered the activities the FARC are carrying out in the DMZ, in spite of the fact that he signed the Caquetania Agreement in support of the peace process.
Southern Bloc Staff
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
FARC-EP
Source: New Colombia News Agency (Anncol) web site in Spanish 13 Sep 01
