Statement of the Young Communist League of Colombia (Juventud Comunista Colombiana) about the political situation in their country, requesting your solidarity.
The peace process in Colombia is under threat. The recent combats between the Colombian Military Forces and the guerrillas of FARC-EP, which bring about lamentable outcomes, are again motivating the response of the national and international pro-war and hawkish rightist groups, who seek to exacerbate the armed confrontation and weaken the peace process that takes place in Havana between the guerrillas of FARC-EP and the Colombian government.
Since December 20th of last year the guerrillas of FARC-EP announced a unilateral ceasefire, which has helped to decrease the armed actions and whose compliance has been publicly recognized by the Colombian government. However, despite this peace gesture of the insurgency, the Colombian Military Forces have used all kinds of excuses to justify provocations and armed actions in areas of guerrillas’ presence. A bilateral ceasefire is needed; it is not possible to go on with the dialogues when the armed confrontation remains, exposing the civilian population over again as the main casualty.
We strongly reject the order of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to resume the bombing against the guerrillas’ camps. This decision goes in the wrong direction to strengthen the peace process; in fact, they encourage the enemies of the peace process to push on with the war, increase the humanitarian crisis, and promote the forced displacement of civilian population and the persecution of social, popular, and political organizations that call for the end of war and the achievement of an agreement based on the social justice and the social, political, and economic transformations that Colombia requires.
The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) expresses its solidarity with the struggle of the Colombian people for Peace with Social Justice, as well as its condolence with all the families who have lost their loved ones in the middle of this cruel war. We request the youth organizations of all over the world to express their solidarity with the struggle for peace in Colombia and to support the peace process that takes place in Havana between the guerrillas of FARC-EP and the Colombian government. We demand the bilateral ceasefire as the most suitable mechanism to preclude the bloodshed among Colombian people.
Bilateral ceasefire now!
