FARC-EP welcomes the National Forum on the problem of illicit drugs

Havana, Cuba, site of the peace talks, September 25, 2013

The peace delegation of the FARC-EP welcomes the participants of the National Forum “Solution to the problem of illicit drugs”, wishing you success, in the idea that its conclusions should provide important tools for discussion on this subject within the framework of the General Agreement of Havana, signed between the national government and our insurgent organization to advance in the dialogues towards a stable and lasting peace for Colombia

Our intention, in incorporating this point in the Agenda, parts of an overall vision on the crisis of the Colombian capitalist model and its political regime, which have created the conditions for the so-called drug-trafficking to be a socioeconomic reality, in which vast sectors of the population participate by necessity. Different segments of transnational and oligarchic power adopt attitudes and make policies that have stimulated deformations in our economy with its subsequent negative impact on the poorest part of society.

Our point of departure is to condemn drug trafficking and we participate in the active political battle aimed at unmasking the fallacies and contents of the so-called War on Drugs, as it's called by the current U.S. policy, country that invented this media matrix aimed at giving its interventionist and imperialist strategies a new look.

According to our point of view, it is the development of the same old script according to which, in the past, the problem was the so-called war against communism, or the defense of the interests of United States' citizens, as paltry excuses to unleash wars of subjugation against weaker nations. Today, the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism from that part of the country that most consumes narcotic and uses terror as a weapon of domination, are excuses for the development of an imperialist, expansionist strategy, to achieve economic and military domination over the world.

With these old concerns, the policy of the U.S. military and its local subsidiaries is unfolded, and its development is complemented by the guidelines outlined in the strategy map of the Southern Command. And it is within this strategy that the Yankee Military Bases on our national territory have been created and now strengthened; it's within this determination that the Southern Command laid its eyes on the military base of Palanquero, reinforcing it, arguing that they are developing an “old security and cooperation agreement with Colombia”. It is within this strategy that the bases of Larandia and Tres Esquinas have been deployed, which are now conceived as Yankee bases, together with military points like Barrancón (Guaviare), Bahía Málaga, the Cartagena naval station, the Malambo air base or bases like Tolemaida and Apiay, among others.

We recall these data, considering that under the signature of a peace agreement, we must incorporate the issue of resolving the problem of illicit drugs inevitably linking it to integral agrarian reform, but mostly and mainly, to the issue of respect for national sovereignty.

The whole history of our concern to solve a social problem that has its roots in the endemic misery imposed by the regime, forces us to emphatically reject the perverse intention of some media to reduce the issue that is being discussed today, to the idea that this is a matter in which the responsibility of its creation and continuation corresponds to the guerrillas, creating the misconception that it is in our hands to solve such a complex phenomenon whose causes, as we have stated before, are to be found in poverty, inequality and exclusion imposed by the ruling classes to the majorities.

To discharge the main force of the combat on the weakest link, located in the poorest regions of underdeveloped countries, and against peasants who have had to resort to such crops by physical absence of economic alternatives, is not only a mistake and injustice of the size of the Mariannes Abyss in the Pacific, but a true act of cynicism and hypocrisy of countries, states, institutions and individuals who profit directly or indirectly from trafficking, but who, in an embarrassing way, try to show results attacking those who have the least responsibility in this business, generating true false positives.

The equitable distribution of land, equipped with road infrastructure, storage facilities, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities as well as an economic policy aimed at ensuring supportive prices, subsidies and grants, comprehensive and universal social security, technical and mechanical assistance are all measures, feasible and probable, that with the participation of the affected communities allow creating the necessary conditions for a solution that addresses the real causes.

Determining the origin and essence of the phenomenon that brings us together here is very important, if there really exists willpower to resolve it thoroughly. Let's look at two central aspects of the problem:

First, drug-trafficking is a capitalist business as a whole, which produces more than 600 billion dollars a year in profit. Virtually all of this money is laundered through the global financial system and organically linked to economic circuits, knowing its origin. More than 95% of these earnings are for the imperialist financial centers, mainly in the United States, and the remaining 5% is basically appropriated by business, banking and investment companies, created by drug-traffickers in partnership with entrepreneurs and traditional politicians that serve as proxies.

Second, the drug-trafficking, based on transformation of natural plants into psychoactive drugs is a business that works in stages or levels, ranging from the cultivation of raw materials, through processing and transport to marketing and distribution in the consumption centers of the developed countries, which is also where, in economic terms, the goods are made, and it is with this capital that the process starts again.This is the drug-trafficking that is being fought against, and not the mega-industry of synthetic drugs.

Why don't we observe the peculiar and relevant fact that the elite, coming from the highest levels of financial capital, when they are making their policies of national security organizations, they also connect them with international drug cartels, which extract annually 8,000 tons of opium in U.S. war zones, and wash 500 billion dollars using transnational banks, half of which are located in the U.S.? Only with common sense we could find the best solution to this problem. Let's hope that such quality can still be found even in those stratospheric circles of society, to which the Colombian elites serve.

On behalf of the FARC-EP, we ratify our clear willingness to move forward in the peace talks, on the route of changes, reforms to the economic and political structures that are the roots of the Colombian conflict. This is a principle that is signed by the parties in the preamble of the General Agreement, which guides the discussions and clearly calls for the participation of all Colombians without distinction in building what may become a true Peace Treaty for our country.

PEACE DELEGATION FARC-EP

#Colombia #PeaceDelegation #Capitalism #RevolutionaryArmedForcesOfColombia #NationalForum #drugs #Americas

Fight Back!: In June 2004, you traveled to north Korea. What were your impressions? How do people live?

Sun Hyung Lee: As you know, it’s impossible to fully understand an entire society in just twelve days. But I will offer some of the impressions I had about north Korean society based on my short visit. Our delegation visited a wide range of places including a women’s garment factory, cooperative farm, health clinic, courthouse and teachers’ college.

Education is highly valued in north Korea. Education at all levels is free for all citizens. We toured the Grand People’s Study Hall, a huge seven-story library, open to all people. Not only do they let you borrow books and music and use the computer, you can hear lectures on all different topics. Then there was the Grand Children’s Palace where children come after school for activities like dancing, singing, artwork and sports. There are eight floors, more than 100 rooms and over 100 teaching staff. Places like this exist in each province, although this is the largest one in the country.

History is very important to the north Korean people. Our hosts took us to many monuments showing the Korean people’s struggle against Japanese occupation and U.S. imperialists during the Korean War. The war is referred to as the “war for the liberation of the motherland,” not a civil war as Americans and most south Koreans view it.

Reunification is a very alive and strong wish of the people. It’s in the songs, the movies, in the artwork. For those of you who are artists, the artwork in north Korea is beautiful, statues lifelike, and everywhere. Culture, art, singing and dancing are a big part of life there.

A big treat was our trip to Mount Baekdu, the most important mountain for all Koreans. Luckily, because of the rain, we got ‘stuck’ there for one night, along with a large group of overseas Koreans from Japan and China. Unlike the fancy hotel we were staying at in Pyongyang, the hotel at Mount Baekdu had low lights and no running water. It was a good experience for us to see what most of the country’s people are going through. The continued U.S. embargo and U.S.’s failure to deliver on the 1994 Agreed Framework to provide light water reactors in exchange for the north Korean’s stopping their nuclear program keeps the country in an energy crisis, with frequent blackouts throughout the country. There were hardly any cars and public transportation didn’t seem to come very often. On the farms, most everything was done by hand. We barely saw any tractors running. While this might be good for the air – there’s no pollution – it definitely must take its toll on people’s lives.

North Korea is slowly coming out of a very severe famine. The famine has taken its toll. Children who told us they were thirteen years old looked about eight. Many looked malnourished. In fact, we were told that north Koreans are, on average, only eating half the calories they need daily. The period since 1995 is called the Arduous March. Floods and droughts caused a serious famine, aggravating the economic crisis that was created by the fall of the Soviet Bloc.

Fight Back!: The U.S. government provoked a war and invaded Korea in the 1950s, settling in for a long occupation. 33,500 U.S. troops continue to occupy and divide Korea. How does this affect Koreans?

Sun Hyung Lee: The war killed over four million Korean people, separated ten million families on both sides of the DMZ [the line dividing north and south], and left the land destroyed by bombs and napalm. The U.S. government continues to be a threat to peace on the Korean peninsula and has been a constant block in the reunification process. The U.S. troops are a bitter reminder that U.S. imperialism is still very much alive on the Korean peninsula.

In June 2002, U.S. military officials sped through a village in a tank and ran over and killed two south Korean schoolgirls, but were cleared of any wrongdoing. This sparked huge anti-U.S. protests by south Koreans over the lawlessness of the U.S. military and the lack of sovereignty in domestic affairs. The south Korean government also sent troops to Iraq although most Koreans are opposed to it. Despite President Roh Moo-hyun’s original anti-war stance, it appears preserving the U.S.-south Korea alliance is more important than the will of the people. South Korea is the U.S.’ sixth largest export market and number one investment destination.

In some ways, you could say the division of our country is responsible for the famine in north Korea. Before the division, the southern part of Korea was the bread basket, the northern part the industrial center. 80% of north Korean land is mountainous and not good for growing food. The division keeps the north and south from sharing resources in times of need.

Fight Back!: You helped deliver $80,000 worth of medical supplies to a hospital. Could you tell us about the project and what you hope to accomplish?

Sun Hyung Lee: As part of our trip, our group raised money to purchase much needed medical supplies for north Korea. With generous support from other Korean Americans and allies, we were able to deliver six large boxes of antibiotics and vitamins to Pyongyang People’s Hospital #3.

Basic items like medicine, food and fertilizer are difficult for the north Korean government to access because of the existing U.S. embargo against the DPRK. Our efforts allowed us to do our small part in supporting the people’s immediate needs. Food and health care are basic human rights and should not be used as a political tool. Due to the famine’s long lasting effects and a huge train accident earlier this year, there was a great need for medicine. North Korea has free health care for all its citizens but the system can only provide what it has. But our donations are only one-time deals. An end to the embargo would allow north Koreans to have regular access and not rely on these kinds of one-time donations for their basic needs.

Fight Back!: The health care system in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is designed to serve workers and farmers. What are your observations about the health care system?

Sun Hyung Lee: We were able to visit one health clinic located on a cooperative farm. That clinic serves one farm, one factory and one small state institution. Two doctors, one midwife and one dentist work in the clinic. One doctor is responsible for the health of about 1000 citizens, from routine check-ups to making sure people get their shots. They do both clinic and home visits. One doctor treats about eight patients per day and spends about 30 to 40 minutes with each patient. Traditional and western medicine is used. The doctor sees patients, gives health education advice and prescribes medicines. If a problem needs higher level of treatment, the person gets transferred to the provincial or county level hospitals. Women come to the clinic for prenatal care within twelve weeks of pregnancy. After delivery, a woman will stay for about two or three days and then she is moved to an upper district hospital. Before the arduous march, everyone had their own medicine box at home for basic needs, but now because of the lack of medicines, people have to come to the clinic for everything.

Fight Back!: The Bush administration has often threatened the DPRK. What is the attitude of the people of north Korea towards these threats and war preparations?

Sun Hyung Lee: The north Koreans have lived with U.S. threats and embargo for over 50 years. This threat is a daily reality for them. But they believe they will persevere. They do not want war, but they are ready to defend their land, their people and their way of life. In all of history, Koreans have never invaded another country.

North Korea wants normal diplomatic relations with the U.S. but they will only do it on equal terms. They will not sell out their sovereignty for relations with the U.S. They will not have the U.S. telling them what they should and should not do on their own land. They ask that the U.S. respect their self-determination and stop its isolating and hostile policies towards the DPRK.

To understand this attitude, you have to understand that north Koreans as a people have a strong sense of history, the history of colonization and imperialism. They remember very clearly what U.S. imperialism did to our country. They see how U.S. interferes with south Korean sovereignty. They also see what happened to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan that did not have the ability to defend themselves from U.S. attack. Because of this, they carry a very strong sentiment against U.S. imperialism. However, we were repeatedly told that this is a hatred of imperialism, its lackeys and what it has done to our country, not towards the American people. They also know their history of struggle and revolution. The north Koreans are a fiercely proud people. This is a country that rose from the ashes of colonization and war, and continues to exist despite all the odds against it. The philosophy of juche, doing it for ourselves without bowing down to any power, is the central ideology that leads the nation. The juche philosophy stresses independence in politics, self-sufficiency in economy and self-reliance in defense.

As the U.S. continues its pro-war policies and vilification of the DPRK, there’s urgency to humanizing north Koreans to the general American public as well as to the Korean American community. We cannot allow the U.S. government to continue its isolating and hostile policies toward the DPRK. Especially, we cannot allow the U.S. to interfere in the process of reunification and reconciliation between the two Koreas. This is essential, since outside forces led to the division of our country in the first place. I hope that your readers will support policies that move the U.S. government towards engaging with north Korea, ending the embargo and stopping the use of food and energy as a political tool. The U.S. needs to stop making its threats of war and sign a non-aggression treaty with north Korea so north Koreans can focus on rebuilding the country instead of protecting themselves against unnecessary war with the U.S.

#AntiwarMovement #Interview #Korea #Interviews #KoreanReunification #USOccupation #KoreanAmericans #PeaceDelegation #Asia