Update from Columbia

World youth supports the peace process in Colombia and claims for stopping the war.

The peace process in Colombia is under threat. The recent combats between the Colombian Military Forces and the guerrillas of FARC-EP–that 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 La Habana 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 out to decrease the armed actions and whose compliance has been publicly recognized by the Colombian government. However, despite of this peace gesture of the insurgency, the Colombian Military Forces have used all kind 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 impulse the war, increase the humanitarian crisis, and promote the forced displacement of civilian population and the persecution of social, popular, and political organizations that claim 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 expresses 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 la Habana 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.

Communist Youth of Columbia and WFDY
Bilateral ceasefire now!