'A message to the people of the United States'

The following is a video interview of Raul Reyes, given in July, 2000. It was filmed by Jess Sundin, a Colombia solidarity activist and a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. The following is a English translation of a few excerpts from Raul Reyes statement, which is in Spanish.

“I want to say to the people of the U.S. that the Colombian people admire and respect your efforts.

“I want to say that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia are part of the people, part of the armed people, fighting for housing, health care and education. The FARC is fighting for the human rights of all Colombians because the Colombian government doesn’t protect human rights. On the contrary, it violates human rights and is a terrorist state that massacres our people via the paramilitary aggressions.

“There is a sector of the army dedicated to carrying out criminal actions in the paramilitaries, against unarmed civilians. The FARC fights against all of this because the Colombian government violates human rights, violates the obligation of any government to protect the governed.

“The FARC wants to build friendships with the people in the U.S. We want to speak with your people, with the teachers, the students, and the North American workers. With the different religious organizations, and also with the revolutionaries that live in the U.S. With the progressive sections of the people, those that are in the left of the political parties, we know that even in the Democrats there is active opposition to what your government is doing in Colombia.”

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