The Americas Post - A demonstrator's poster shows how many years each hostage has been held by FARC guerrillas. Photo Credit: AFP

FARC guerrillas on Wednesday postponed releasing six Colombian soldiers held for over a decade, claiming that the area where the prisoners were to be freed has been occupied by government troops.

“The area we had chosen for the release of prisoners of war captured in battle has been unfairly militarized by the Government of Colombia, which forces us to defer the operation,” the rebel group said in a statement released on the internet.

The FARC, weakened by a military offensive supported by the U.S. but still able to execute high-impact attacks, announced in December the release of six of the 11 Armed Forces personnel held for more ten years, but the delivery has not yet been finalized.  Late last year other hostages were killed by rebels during combat with the Army,  which had discovered FARC encampments in the jungle.

President Juan Manuel Santos questioned the position of the FARC, considered by U.S. and European Union as a terrorist organization and said the government did not know the hostages were in that area.

“By God, no more tricks and deceit.  We do not even know where the hostage are. They have not given coordinates. Release them now,” Santos said through his Twitter account.

However, the Armed Forces admitted operating throughout the country in fulfilling the mission of pursuing the illegal armed groups.

Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzón, accused the rebel group of playing with the hostages and their families as part of a strategy to gain political prominence nationally and internationally and clean up its criminal image.

“These people once again demonstrates the lies they tell and how deeply and permanently they play with the Colombian people,” said the official.

The guerrilla organization have held up to 60 hostages at times, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans, who they sought to exchange for imprisoned guerrillas.

But many were rescued by the Armed Forces and others escaped or died in the jungle. Some have been released by the FARC in phases during recent years.

“As soon as the insanity that has gripped Nariño Palace (the Presidency) abates, we will make a new attempt for you to receive those who will be released,” added the FARC.

The CIA Director visited La Macarena in the state of Meta, center of Colombia. He met with the Defense Minister and Military Commanders of the Colombian Armed Forces.

Colombia’s government today praised U.S. support for strengthening systems of technical (Sigint) and human intelligence (Humint)  in the fight against illegal organizations like FARC operating in this South American country.

“With the support of the U.S. government we are strengthening our systems of technical and human intelligence,” said Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzón, through a statement.

He added that “there must be no place in Colombia where terrorists and criminals can hide undetected.”

Minister  Pinzon and Director of the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) United States, Gral. David Petraeus, visited La Macarena last Friday in the southern province of Meta, one of the areas where the illegal groups and drug traffickers operate.

With these meetings Colombia “will continue to strengthen cooperation ties between the two countries and strengthen the commitment to continue fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational crime,” said the Defense Ministry statement.

The Americas Post - FARC may be weakened but they can still mess up your travel plans

Air operations in a wide region of southwestern Colombia were delayed on Saturday following an attack by FARC guerrillas against a radar antenna system key to commercial aviation, said that nation’s Civil Aviation authority.

One policeman was killed in the attack by the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) launched on Friday night above Santa Ana, in the department of Cauca.  He had been guarding aviation facilities, officials said.

“Aeronautical communications in the southwest of the country have been disrupted temporarily by a terrorist attack against civilian facilities”, said a statement from Civil Aeronautics.

Although the FARC have been weakened by a military offensive bringing death to several commanders and the desertion of thousands of its fighters, the attack proved that the rebel group still has the capacity to carry high-impact operations.  The guerrillas fired homemade missiles, gas cylinders filled with explosives, and attacked troops stationed in the area with bursts of rifle and machine gun fire.

The radar damaged by the attack covers 300 kilometers and not only controls commercial flights,  but also supports the armed forces against drug trafficking in the southwest airspace.

“Repairing the radar will take several months.  We do not know whether to reduce the number of flights, but there will be delays, “said the director of Civil Aeronautics, Santiago Castro.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has demanded that the FARC release all hostages, suspend hostilities and lay down their weapons for negotiations, conditions that the guerrillas have rejected as a surrender.  He called the attack on the radar installation affecting thousands of travelers “the ultimate demonstration of weakness and despair” by the guerrillas.

The Americas Post - Colombian troops disembarking on the Caguan River are not there to talk

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos on Tuesday rejected the possibility of reopening peace talks with that country’s FARC leftist rebels, until the group takes concrete steps towards ending 50 years of combat.

His reaction came one day after FARC leader Rodrigo “Timochenko” Londoño suggested terms for resuming negotiations, which were frozen a decade ago.  Those proposed topics included privatization, environmental protection, the free market and military doctrine.

“We don’t want more rhetoric; the nation asks for clear peaceful deeds”, Santos tweeted in response.

The oldest active guerrilla group in Latin America has been weakened in recent years by a US backed military offensive that has taken the lives of several FARC commanders and caused thousands of rebel desertions.  Although they have retreated to the mountains and jungles, FARC fighters are still capable of staging effective attacks, including against Colombia’s oil-producing infrastructure.

Santos has demanded that the guerrillas free hostages, suspend attacks and lay down their arms.  FARC leaders have rejected those conditions but left open the possibility of a negotiated settlement.

Failed peace negotiations between 1999 and 2002 took place in the Caguan region, a demilitarized zone measuring twice the size of El Salvador.  During those talks the rebels did not cease combat operations, and the Colombian armed forces accused them of using the area as a base for attacks, arms trafficking and drug smuggling.  For many Colombians, the zone proved the FARC’s unwillingness to put an end to the long war that has cost the country so much blood and money.

“You can forget about a new Caguan”, Santos said.

The Americas Post - Drug trafficking accusations are no obstacle for the Chavez administration

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this week appointed a new defense minister, described by the United States as a “drug kingpin” involved in cocaine smuggling from next-door Colombia.

“This good soldier, this humble soldier … this fighter for the people, today I publicly designate him as the new defense minister of the Republic,” Chavez announced while naming General Henry Rangel Silva to the post.

In 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department accused Rangel and another top Venezuelan officer of supporting narcotics trafficking operations by Colombian FARC guerrillas.  Both men denied any connection.

President Chavez  has repeatedly denied U.S. accusations that his government has turned a blind eye to drug trafficking.  He in turn accuses the United States of being a decadent empire that exploits developing countries.

The Venezuelan leader is expected to reshuffle his cabinet in the next few months to allow several of his current ministers to run in regional elections later this year.

Sharing a long border with Colombia, Venezuela has become a transshipment point for Colombian cocaine en route to consumer nations.  Chavez suspended cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2005 when he accused its agents of spying and violating Venezuelan sovereignty.

He claims his administration has invested millions of dollars in anti-narcotic operations, pointing to the extradition of accused druglords to Colombia and an increase in drug-related arrests as proof of Venezuela’s efforts.

Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the United States have been icy for years, in spite of the fact that South American nation still provides nearly 10 percent of US fuel imports.

In September, Washington accused four close Chavez allies of providing arms to FARC rebels in Colombia, a charge which Venezuela described as “abusive.”

The Americas Post - Colombian soldiers held in a makeshift FARC prison camp

FARC guerrillas are “the only ones responsible” for the death of four hostages found shot this weekend after a firefight with government troops trying to free them, according to Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos.

“This is an atrocious crime which merits the condemnation of all Colombians as well as the international community”, he said during his normal weekly address.  ”The only ones responsible for this vile action, for this crime against humanity, are the FARC.”

“Imagine that they’re going to blame these acts on government forces”, Santos added.  ”All it takes is common sense to place the responsibility with those that kidnapped them years ago and today pulled the trigger.”

The victims were three police officers and one soldier, held by the FARC for at least 12 years.  They were found shot in the back of the head and in the back.

Santos expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and his commitment to the military campaign.

“I want to tell the FARC that the only thing this will accomplish is to inject public forces with more determination to combat them”, he insisted.

The Colombian Armed Rebel Forces, known by their Spanish acronym as the FARC, are the oldest guerrilla movement in Latin America, with 47 years in the field.  They currently number between 8,000 and 9,000 combatants and hold at least 14 police and military hostages who they propose to exchange for jailed guerrillas.

The Americas Post - Meet the new boss.... Same as the old boss? Photo Credit: El Tiempo

Rodrigo Londoño, alias “Timoleón Jiménez” or “Timochenko,” has been promoted to the rank of commander for the FARC guerrilla movement, shortly after the Colombian military tracked down and killed its leader Alfonso Cano.

In a press release, the FARC Secretariat said Timochenko’s appointment was unanimous and that it remains committed to toppling the Colombian government.

The new leader of Colombia’s oldest rebel organization is said to be an sharp and experienced guerrilla, who leads the group’s intelligence operation and has strong connections in neighboring Venezuela.

Fighting since 1964, The FARC, or the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia, controlled large parts of the country in the 1980s and 1990s, but suffered dramatic setbacks in the last decade.  When Cano was killed on Nov. 4, President Juan Manuel Santos called it one of the most decisive blows in the group’s history.

He also called on FARC soldiers to put down their weapons and seek a negotiated settlement.

Analysts say that’s not about to happen. Timochenko has a reputation as a hardliner, though not as inflexible as his predecessor according to Antonio Lopez, the president of Colombian think tank Arco Iris.

“This does represent a sense of continuity in the FARC,” he said “We’re not going to see them give in and negotiate over Cano’s body.  At least not anytime soon.”

Now down to about 9,000 combatants, the FARC have changed tactics and rarely confront the military directly, Lopez said.  Now smaller groups use hit-and-run ambushes, sabotage public infrastructure and attack soft military targets.  That shift may be starting to pay off.  In the first half of 2011, the FARC staged 1,115 attacks – a 10 percent increase over last year.

Timochenko enlisted in 1982, and ascended rapidly to become a member of the Secretariat just seven years later.  His last turn on the media stage came in 2008 when he announced that FARC founder Manuel “Tirofijo” Marulanda had died and that Cano was stepping up. With graying beard and glasses, Timochenko punched his finger into the air as he shouted at the camera.

Colombian authorities think that video was shot in Venezuela. Emails recovered in 2008 from the laptop of FARC’s then No. 2, Raul Reyes, also hint that Timochenko was a liaison with the Venezuelan government, which denies supporting the group.  In those missives however, Timochenko describes FARC bases inside Venezuelan territory and frequent border crossings since 1997.

Timochenko has over 100 outstanding arrest warrants, including for terrorism, kidnapping and aggravated homicide.

The Americas Post - Timochenko is top command material, and has the finger to prove it.

The death last week of Alfonso Cano, who replaced Manuel “Sure Shot” Marulanda as head of the Colombian FARC in 2008, leaves a historic vacuum at the top of Latin America’s most long-lived guerrilla movement.

Cano, 63, was considered the principal ideologue of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia, having dominated their political wing before assuming the top command.  The anthropologist-turned-revolutionary died in a firefight against 800 to 1,000 Colombian army troops, following a fierce aerial bombardment.  He was the third major FARC leader to be killed in the last three years.

With 47 years of armed struggle, in spite of recent setbacks the FARC remain the dominant guerrilla group in Colombia with around 8,000 soldiers.  The question now is who may step into Cano’s boots in order to carry on the revolution.

Cano’s replacement as FARC commander is likely to be one of  two main candidates, both of whom are known by their nom de guerre:  Ivan Marquez and Timoleon Jimenez (aka Timochenko).

Ivan Marquez is actually Luciano Marin, 56, who joined the FARC in the 80′s after a brief stint in Congress.   According to military sources he currently serves as the group’s chief of international relations and lives clandestinely in Venezuela.  He has taken part in various peace talks with the Colombian government, during which he took a more hardline position than Alfonso Cano.

Timochenko’s real name is Rodrigo Londoño, who also joined the FARC in the 80′s.  Local analysts report his current role as intelligence chief for that organization.  He is also presumed to be living clandestinely in Venezuela.

Other top leaders include Mauricio Jaramillo, whose eastern bloc includes over half of FARC’s active soldiers, and Pablo Catatumbo, joint western commander who was considered very close to Cano.    Southern bloque commander Milton Toncel and Felix Antonio Muñoz, recently promoted to the joint command, are the other two high profile leaders considered potential replacements for Cano.

The Americas Post - It wasn't microphones pointing at Alfonso Cano this week.

In another setback for Latin America’s oldest guerrilla army, FARC rebel leader Guillermo Leon Saenz was killed in Colombia on Friday.

According to Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon, Saenz, who was better known by his battle moniker Alfonso Cano, was tracked down in the southern department of Cauca.  He had already been on the run for months with a $5 million bounty on his head.

“This is the biggest blow the organization has seen in its history,” President Juan Manuel Santos announced in Cartagena.  He also called on the remaining members of FARC  to give up the fight. “If you don’t…you will end up in jail or in a grave”, he said.

Pinzón said the military attacked Cano’s rural camp from the air at about 8:30 am. Friday before landing troops in the area.  Once on the ground, soldiers found Cano’s trail glasses and wallet before surrounding him and a group of his closest followers.  In the course of the battle his security chief was taken prisoner and Cano’s “sentimental partner” was killed, Pinzón said.

Authorities showed a picture of Cano’s body, uncharacteristically clean-shaven, recovered with seven computers, some 30 memory sticks and more than $107,000 in cash.

This was latest in a series of setbacks for the FARC.  Their second-in-command, Raul Reyes, was killed in 2008 in a cross-border raid on his base in Ecuador, while their top commander, Jorge Briceño, died in combat in September 2010.

Cano’s death comes amid fears that the FARC was making a comeback.

Rebel attacks have been rising for the last three years, after they dispersed into smaller, more mobile groups, analysts said.

According to Corporación Nuevo Arco Iris, a think-tank that studies Colombia’s civil conflict, there were 1,115 FARC attacks in the first half of 2011 – up 10 percent over last year.

President Juan Manuel Santos replaced the entire military high command earlier and named Pinzon minister of defense in August.  Last month, however, the FARC killed 20 soldiers in two days before municipal elections.

Analysts warned that Cano’s death could provoke a fresh round of violence as the group attempts to prove it’s a force to be reckoned with. Founded in 1964 with a Marxist ideology, the FARC now depends on drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion for financing.  According to some estimates, the group is down to under 9,000 members, from approximately 17,000 in 2002.

Pinzón said that Cano had been a guerrilla for over 33 years and that his death proves that no rebel is safe from the Colombian army.

“Today, the armed forces and the national police have destroyed a myth,” he said.

The Americas Post - Guess who's still interfering with elections in Colombia?

Another ten Colombian soldiers have been killed in a rebel ambush, this time in the eastern province of Arauca.

It was the second such attack in two days.  On Friday, a similar ambush left 10 soldiers dead in the southern province of Narino, close to Colombia’s border with Ecuador.

The army blamed both attacks on the leftist FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia).

The army command said that this latest attack took place in a the rural part of Tame municipality, about 320km (200 miles) northeast of the capital Bogota and close to the  border of Venezuela.

Although severely weakened by a military offensive launched 10 years ago, the Marxist-inspired FARC retains the ability to mount classic guerrilla hit-and-run attacks, aided by cash raised through  involvement in the illegal drug  trade as well as Colombia’s thick jungles.

On 30 October, Colombians will be voting in regional elections.  Insurgent movements often stage operations aimed at disrupting elections in which they are not participating.