Colombia’s defense minister said that the success of anti-FARC government operations have pushed the guerrilla organization to commit indiscriminate terrorist attacks reminiscent of Pablo Escobar out of desperation, various media reported.
Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera said during a Wednesday speech in Rionegro, Antioquia department, just outside Medellin, that the FARC is “pabloescobarizing” as a result of pressure from Colombia’s armed forces. According to Rivera, this indicates that the “final stage of this nightmare we have lived” has arrived, with the “end of these narco-terrorist organizations” being the final result.
The defense minister explained that the organization has begun to act similarly to the infamous fallen drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, committing acts of extreme terrorism and forming alliances with groups that were their former enemies.
“When they feel desperate they resort to indiscriminate terrorism against the civilian population, against infrastructure, it’s what I have christened the ‘pabloescobarization’ of the FARC and it doesn’t constitute a sign of strength, but rather of weakness … of desperation,” said the minister, reported newspaper El Colombiano.
“During the past 30 years we have been advancing sign after sign, overcoming adversity after adversity, overcoming drug trafficking, and the violent escalation that began in 1966, when the FARC terrorism began,” said Rivera.
Finally, the minister added that “Victory against the criminals will be possible if, and only if, achieving it is a national goal and not just a military or police one.”
