Colombia’s largest insurgent group FARC asked Barack Obama Friday to pardon veteran guerrilla Simon Trinidad, according to local media Friday.
A presidential pardon of Trinidad by Obama would be an “immense contribution to peace in Colombia,” according to a FARC statement read by Rodrigo Granda.
“Days before his re-election we listened carefully to his words about peace in Colombia, wishing for a path of harmony and the political participation of the FARC, which we appreciate immensely as that has been our stated purpose,” said Granda.
FARC guerrillas are currently in the midst of peace talks with the Colombian government in the Cuban capital of Havana. Since peace talks were confirmed by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on August 27, FARC have been trying to include Trinidad as a senior negotiator in the peace process.
Trinidad, whose real name is Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera, is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence in a maximum-security prison in the U.S. for kidnapping. Prior to his capture, Trinidad was one of the highest-ranking members of the FARC secretariat.
The Colombian delegation in Cuba, led by Humberto de la Calle, has not yet commented on FARC’s latest request.
