Several leaders of the U.S. movement in solidarity with the Colombian people condemned the March 1 killing of Raul Reyes, the main spokesperson for the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Reyes was murdered in Ecuador by Colombian troops with U.S. assistance.

Meredith Aby of the Colombia Action Network said, “It’s outrageous that days after the FARC released unilaterally hostages for the second time that the blood thirsty Colombian government responded by attacking the FARC and killing one of their top leaders. The U.S. is arming and directing a government that truly has no interest in peace.”

Tom Burke, who helps lead the effort to free Ricardo Palmera, the kidnapped FARC leader who is on trial in Washington D.C., stated, “The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera extends its sympathy to the family, friends and comrades of Colombian martyr Raul Reyes. Raul Reyes sacrificed his life in the revolutionary service of the Colombian people. The leadership of Raul Reyes brought the peoples of Latin America closer to fulfilling the dream of Simon Bolivar – a unified, independent and peaceful future.”

Burke added, “The National Committee condemns the killing of Raul Reyes by the Bush administration, the Pentagon and the U.S. puppet president in Colombia, Alvaro Uribe. The U.S. is conducting a dirty war in Colombia, spending $5 billion to support the most anti-democratic and reactionary regime in the history of Colombia. The drug-soaked and criminal administration of Alvaro Uribe – a death-squad government that assassinates trade unionists, community organizers, peasant leaders and anyone opposed to tyranny and oppression in Colombia. The U.S. is trying but failing to quench the growing revolution lead by the FARC in Colombia.”

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