A FARC election candidate sued Senator Alvaro Uribe on Friday. Sixteen years before the Marxists’ political debut, guerrillas killed 15 people in an attack on the former president’s inauguration.
FARC candidate Manuel Garzon said he he sued Uribe after the leader of the Democratic Center party had said Garzon was “part of the terrorist participation” in the trial against the former president’s brother.
Santiago Uribe is in jail on claims he formed a far-right death squad. Before joining the FARC’s political party, Garzon was one of the human rights lawyer investigating the controversial Uribe family.
Uribe has rejected the criminal charges as a “political montage.”
The story of Santiago Uribe and the 12 Apostles
FARC presidential candidate Rodrigo Londoño, the last military leader of the guerrilla group, said the Marxists’ political rival was “irresponsibly promoting hatred and violence.”
Londoño laid down his weapons last year in a peace process opposed by Uribe.
Garzon said on Twitter that “we will not fall for his provocations. The war is over.”
A journalist and conflict victims have successfully sued the former president for slander, forcing Uribe to publicly apologize for making false accusations.
Uribe’s via crucis: apologizing to Colombia’s war victims and journalists by force
Uribe apologizing to the FARC, who he has accused of killing his father, would further force the former president to moderate his language.
The FARC suing Uribe is also a novelty as the group was illegal until the United Nations verified their disarmament last year.
When the FARC was still in arms, guerrillas tried to assassinate Uribe on multiple occasions.
A transitional war crimes tribunal is expected to begin hearings on human rights violations like these after the presidential elections in May.
As part of the peace agreement signed with President Juan Manuel Santos, the FARC are guaranteed 10 seats in Congress and could win more through the popular vote.
Whether this will be successful remains to be seen. Only 1.2% of voters said to prefer the guerrillas’ political party.
