Written by
Simone Bruno 

 

Only two weeks ago the Farc (Revolutionary armed forces of Columbia) and the Uribe government seemed to be walking arm in arm and a humanitarian agreement, meaning the exchange of prisoners, seemed to be near. The families of those who were kidnapped hoped to spend Christmas with their nearest and dearest, after years spent in a limbo waiting for news of them.
Instead of which we have reached a frontal encounter, where declarations of war thunder, bombs destroy houses, bulletts kill. The detonator was a bomb which exploded in the centre of Bogota and was attributed to the Farc, without apparend proof; an indignant President Uribe hurled abuse against the enemies, downgraded once again to terrorists: a real declaration of war and a revival of the Plan Patriota, a military plan which was studied to defeat the rebels through the military. The Farc on their part answered by denying they were the authors of the attack, and accepting the military challenge.

Bombs in the night. In the village of Tierradentro (Cordoba) it was shortly after three a.m. when the inhabitants’ sleep was interrupted by a series of explosions and bursts of machine-gun fire. The Farc were attacking the police station in the centre of the town. The guerrilla, hiding in the forest which covers the mountains on the eastern side of the town, were throwing gas bottles which had been turned into home-made bombs (according to an ancient Ira recipe) against the local police station. Some sources speak of 450 men of fronts numbers 58, 15 and 5 (which is active in the nearby region of Urabà) who attacked the 70 or so policemen present in the village.
The clashes went on for about 8 hours, during which time the 11th battalion of the Columbian army intervened to defend the police.
The death toll was of two civilians and 17 policemen, and an unknown number of victims among the guerrilla. There hasn’t been such a tragedy in Columbia for months.

The scenario of this clash is a land torn apart by the conflict. It was the paramilitary soldiers of the “Bloque Sinù” of the Auc (United self-defence of Columbia) who were in control here, under the command of the Italo-columbian Salvatore Mancuso, but after their demobilization it became conquered territory. It is a strategically important area, because it is situated close to some important coca plantations.
The inhabitants state that a new group of paramilitary soldiers equipped with uniforms, radio transmitters, weapons and “reinsertado” passes terrify the farmers and force them to sell their crop of coca leaves to them. This group is commanded by the “pollo Lizcano”, who was part of Mancuso’s group and who, among other things, today supplements the net of cooperators, meaning government informers. The police considers him one of the biggest narcos in the country.
This new group vies with the Farc for control over this territory, making the area the centre of a constant conflict.
While everyone was waiting for an offensive on the part of the army against the guerrilla, exactly the opposite happened: the Farc seriously damaged the image of the government and the “seguridad democratica” policy invoked by the president. A trial of strength that shows that the guerrila is far from being defeated: on the contrary, they show  staggering strength and organizational abilities.

Renewed opening. It was in these days that the Farc also sent out a statement that repeats the willingness of the guerrila group to open talks over the freeing of the prisoners and for a wider peace process, almost to show their strength before sitting down to the negotiating table: which happens quite often usually before two armed actors begin to negotiate.