Space Travel News  
WAR REPORT
Colombia's FARC suspends campaigning citing threats to candidates
by Staff Writers
Bogota (AFP) Feb 9, 2018

The former Colombian guerrilla group FARC suspended campaigns for political office Friday, citing a lack of security safeguards that have put its candidates at risk.

Campaigning "will be temporarily suspended until the government gives us minimum guarantees" that the leftist party's candidates can campaign safely, FARC vice presidential candidate Imelda Daza told AFP.

The party's presidential candidate Rodrigo Londono has been verbally attacked at rallies, raising fears of political violence as the country heads toward congressional and then presidential elections later this year.

The FARC signed a peace agreement with the government in late 2016, ending a more than half-century-long insurgency.

But since then, more than 40 former fighters, relatives and activists have been murdered and tensions have spilled into the campaign.

Security personnel have had to protect Londono from people trying to assault him at campaign events or upon exiting media interviews.

"At the very least we demand respect for our physical integrity and the right to present our ideas," Daza said.

- 'Incitement to violence' -

The peace deal guaranteed the FARC 10 seats in Colombia's bicameral congress -- five in each chamber -- for two four-year periods.

FARC candidates still need to campaign for the seats, however.

Colombians elect members of Congress in March, and will choose a new president in May.

Recent polls show that just one percent of voters support Londono -- formerly the top FARC guerrilla leader known by the nom de guerre "Timochenko."

Nevertheless, his presence has raised passions, and Londono has been forced to cancel campaign stops.

Daza said that Ivan Marquez, an ex-guerrilla commander and current FARC senate candidate, had to cancel a public event in the southern city of Florencia on Monday due to "incitement to violence" by a senator from the conservative Centro Democratico party.

Daza blamed "acts of sabotage" on groups opposed to the peace agreement, which was rejected in an October 2016 plebescite but then re-negotiated and approved by Congress the following month.

"The right to protest cannot be used as an argument to justify acts and behavior classified as crimes under the Colombian criminal code," said Pablo Catatumbo, another ex-guerrilla leader and FARC senate candidate.

Speaking at a Bogota press conference, Catatumbo said violence against FARC candidates in three departments had resulted in injuries to people and damage to vehicles and a labor union headquarters.

However, no FARC candidates are known to have been physically injured, and Daza said none had received death threats.

Vice President Oscar Naranjo said Wednesday that 28 ex-guerrillas and 12 relatives of ex-guerrillas, as well as 10 civil society leaders associated with the FARC, have been murdered since the peace deal was signed.

The FARC says 37 ex-fighters have been killed since the peace accord signing.


Related Links
Space War News


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


WAR REPORT
Pro-Iranian militia used US Abrams tanks in Syria: Pentagon
Washington (AFP) Feb 9, 2018
US Abrams tanks sold to Iraq have been used by a pro-Iranian paramilitary group in fighting against the Islamic State group in Syria, the Pentagon said Friday. The tanks, however, were later returned to the Iraqi military, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said. M1 Abrams tanks have been sold to Iraq over the past decade, Pahon said, but Washington "has not provided defense articles to the Shia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which are part of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) by law." The PMF, ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WAR REPORT
WAR REPORT
Studies of Clay Formation Provide Clues to Early Martian Climate

Opportunity Celebrates 14 Years of Working on Mars

Mount Sharp 'Photobombs' Mars Curiosity Rover

NASA tests power system to support manned missions to Mars

WAR REPORT
Chinese volunteers spend 200 days on virtual 'moon base'

CubeSats for hunting secrets in lunar darkness

Russia at work on new station, lunar trips: says top rocket scientist

Russian company declassifies 1973 report on Lunokhod-2 lunar rover

WAR REPORT
Europa and Other Planetary Bodies May Have Extremely Low-Density Surfaces

JUICE ground control gets green light to start development

New Year 2019 offers new horizons at MU69 flyby

Study explains why Jupiter's jet stream reverses course on a predictable schedule

WAR REPORT
Viruses are falling from the sky

What the TRAPPIST-1 Planets Could Look Like

Hubble offers first atmospheric data of exoplanets orbiting Trappist-1

TRAPPIST-1 Planets Probably Rich in Water

WAR REPORT
Elon Musk is launching a Tesla into space - here's how SpaceX will do it

SpaceX launches world's most powerful rocket toward Mars

SpaceX poised to launch 'world's most powerful rocket'

Putin gives nod to creation of Russian super heavy-lift launch vehicle

WAR REPORT
Chinese taikonauts maintain indomitable spirit in space exploration: senior officer

China launches first shared education satellite

China's first X-ray space telescope put into service after in-orbit tests

China's first successful lunar laser ranging accomplished

WAR REPORT
Evidence for a massive biomass burning event at the Younger Dryas Boundary

New research suggests toward end of Ice Age, human beings witnessed fires larger than dinosaur killers

Asteroid to pass by Earth in Feb.

Asteroid 2002 AJ129 to Fly Safely Past Earth February 4









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.