Venezuela's Hugo Chavez Tells FARC Revolutionaries the 'Guerrilla War is History'

Hugo Chavez says it is time for the Revolutionary guerrillas in Columbia to cool their heels and end their reign.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

(SALEM, Ore.) - He still has his share of critics, but Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is removing obstacles that he believes could eventually be used as a reason for a preemptive strike against his country. It is a smart move that takes political weapons out of the hands of his enemies. Iran may not be safe from the war desires of George W. Bush, but neither is Venezuela.

Chavez surprised people on both sides of the fence recently when he declared that the time for revolutionaries is over.

He announced that, "At this stage in Latin America, a guerrilla movement is out of place."

FARC

His remarks were specifically directed toward FARC in Columbia, the "Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito Pueblo" or, in English, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—Peoples Army.

This is a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary force that in the beginning, was formed to protect the rights of Columbian peasants in areas controlled by the Communist Party. The problem is that while the movement may have had Robin Hood-like beginnings in rallying against abusive large-scale landowners, it morphed over the years and eventually degenerated into what can easily be described as a pillaging force; one that kidnaps fragile women like former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and others including Americans, and holds them for years, or kills them.

President Chavez told FARC to free the 750 hostages currently being held, and he told them to lay down their arms, unconditionally. In issuing the statement, he explained to FARC that their methods give the United States excuses "to threaten all of us." It is a simple fact that he needs the support of people in the west who can't accept the kidnappings and word has been out for years that FARC is financed with ransom money, drug trafficking and extortion. In all fairness, perhaps he just means what he says; the time for all of this is over.

Contradictions?

Earlier this year Chavez had a different point to make about the group; he suggested in January that FARC should be regarded as an "insurgent" rather than a "terrorist" force. FARC claims that it meets requirements for the status as contained in the Geneva Convention of 1949.

Then there was an uproar in late February 2008 when the Columbian military ventured into the Ecuadorian jungle to kill Raul Reyes, a leader of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and another 20 "leftist" guerrillas. The President of Columbia, Álvaro Uribe, admitted to the killings on the Colombia-Ecuador border.

A spokesman for FARC at the time, said Mr. Reyes, "died as he was trying to get in a meeting with French President Sarkozy where progress would have been made in finding solutions to Ingrid Betancourt's situation." Statements like that made earlier this year were keeping at least an open mind toward this Columbian Revolutionary force, but whatever fragments of popularity it had seem to have vanished for the leader of Venezuela.

Western Hearts and Minds

This controversial president is sure to win support for his new position on FARC and it is one that almost all people in the western countries can easily side with.

Chavez has been in the news several times in recent years over comments he has made about George W. Bush, at one point even calling him "the devil".

The border between Venezuela and Columbia has been the scene of ongoing violence and Columbia is a clear ally of the George W. Bush administration. Chavez' move against the FARC is surely an interesting one; and Colombia’s Foreign Minister Carlos Holguin seemed as puzzled as anyone else, saying that when it came to the FARC, Chavez "was their defender and ally and so it’s surprising that he has acted like this."

Indeed, Chavez stating to reporters that "The guerrilla war is history" could be a sign of vitality for a country that has regained much for its poorer population under his presidency, and greatly angered many of Venezuela's more affluent residents, particularly when it comes to oil, along the way. Some say he should be viewed as a traitor to the Revolutionary movement, but it seems that they would first have to endorse kidnapping, murder and drug running as legitimate affairs. Maybe he is the person many people say he is; a big hearted guy who has the guts to stand up to political and military bullies like George W. Bush. Maybe he truly loves his country and just wants to see it succeed without needless, extra blood on its hands.

For more Salem-News.com articles by Tim King about Venezuela and Columbia, visit these links:

Bush Defends Blood Bath in Ecuadorian Jungle as Venezuela Masses Troops

Taking Government Control of Media by the Horns: Hugo Chavez and Venezuela

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Today, in addition to his role as a war correspondent in Afghanistan where he spent the winter of 2006/07, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators. Tim's coverage from Iraq that was set to begin in April has been delayed and may not take place until August, 2008. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com