Message from the New Commander-in-Chief of FARC-EP

Greetings on the end of the year from Alfonso Cano, Commander in Chief of the FARC-EP, Mountains of Colombia, sent to PRAVDA.Ru. He states that FARC is strengthened and hardened, having successfully resisted the largest operation launched by the U.S. in Latin America. He promises to take both political and the military initiatives during 2009.

Photo: Message from the New Commander-in-Chief of FARC-EP

Year end greetings from Comrade Alfonso Cano, Commander in Chief of the FARC-EP,

The year ending leaves a profound and indelible mark on the collective consciousness of the people. Some, deeply painful, such as the death of our Commander in Chief Manuel Marulanda, Raul not only falling victim of the bombing, but of the cowardly shots of Uribe’s soldiers, the treacherous murder of Ivan at the hands of one despicable character and the death in combat of other commanders and guerrillas, moving events to which we have confirmed our commitment to go to the ultimate consequences in the struggle for social change and reaffirmed our belief because we understand that revolutionary achievements are reached only after some tough battles.

Other marks left from 2008 showed that the titanic battle waged by FARC - EP in resisting the largest counterinsurgency operation unleashed by the White House in Latin America, has hardened and strengthened us despite the barking of the paramilitary fascist proclaiming his victory but insisting on reelection of a budget never imagined for war, in a strategy of militarization of the regime and state terror as evidence of the lying content of his message.

Also 2008 left a deep impression and a hope planted by the growing popular independence movements of influence in business and government, which foretell new qualities and greater achievements in the struggle against the empire and its servants in Colombia.

What happened during the year ending, which we essentially analyze in the year-end greeting of the secretariat, merely confirms the justice of our positions, proposals and fight. The hatreds that we awaken in the rapacious paramilitary oligarchy, usurping of political power since the times of the Liberator, confirms that we are their enemies because we embody the true heartfelt demands of the popular sectors of the country and their hopes for democracy, social justice and national sovereignty

By 2009, we must strengthen ourselves to recapture the initiative in both the various political and the military areas, encouraging the people's struggle in all possible scenarios, reaffirming our status as revolutionary fighters, communist guerrillas, fighters carrying a Bolivarian dialectic on social development and the state, convinced that class struggle is the engine of history, a project of the modern state that advances in defending the people's interests to move towards socialism..

Our daily actions and each of the political and military vectors that we advance must reflect our revolutionary humanist principles, absolutely morally superior to that of our opponents, that we always privilege the collective interests to the individual, fighting and delivering everything, even our lives, for the common good and that like Che, we are indignant before all injustice.

I share in these lines the appeal of the Comrades of the entire EMBO guerrillas for a sustained life in good health, complete discipline, proletarian behavior, daily struggle, Communist conduct, fellowship, brotherhood, solidarity, truth, modesty, self sacrifice, self-criticism, to be better guerrillas each day, firm in Communist principles, supporters and followers of the military political line that left to us Manuel and Jacobo who permanently increase political and military action against all our enemies, who are those of the people "as well as also the call of Comrade Marulanda who called us two years ago to fight "with health, valor, moral courage, fulfillment of plans, discipline, perseverance and determination as pillars of revolutionary fighters to defeat the enemy sooner rather than later.”

Remembering our fallen comrades, honoring their commitment to the fight, giving our sympathy to their relatives and friends, summoning the spirit of struggle of all our prisoners, of Sonia, Simon, Ivan Vargas, reaffirming our decision to always try to obtain their freedom, we will welcome the new year 2009 with an absolute confidence in the progress of the people's struggle against paramilitary fascism and opening new democratic horizons.

The Colombian oligarchy must be convinced that a single crime of state terrorism produces and legitimizes the armed uprising of the people and that everything else that is said, is empty propaganda.

Comrades: I send to all, my desire for health, great struggles and important successes in this 2009 that begins now, for the good of Colombia.

Revolutionary greetings,

Alfonso Cano