The newly appointed leader of guerrilla organization FARC, alias “Timochenko,” issued a harsh criticism against Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos Saturday, in his first official communique since taking over the FARC leadership.
“To hold power and to present yourself as threatening and brutal… this cannot win the sympathy of anyone (…) history teaches us that the vast majority of human beings hate this kind of bravado,” wrote Rodrigo Londoño, alias Timochenko, in the communique titled “This is not how it is, Santos, this is not how it is.”
Timochenko, 52, took over the FARC leadership on Tuesday, following the November 4 death of previous FARC leader Alfonso Cano.
Timochenko went on to criticize the way that the country was celebrating the death in combat of FARC’s former leader. The newly appointed leader condemned Santos’ government for the way in which the armed forces continue to kill in violent contexts the members and leaders of the guerrilla organization, referring to “the macabre face of this beautiful democracy.”
President Santos warned Timochenko Wednesday that he must “reflect” or that he would very soon meet the same fate as his predecessor. Santos said of the FARC, “Militarily they are weaker and weaker… politically they are defeated.”
