Do Irish apologists for Colombia's FARC have the slightest idea about what they are supporting ?

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday July 17, 2003 19:25 by joe ranii

It is extraordinary that some people who post here, and probably pride themselves on their "progressive" politics, can think the kidnap and imprisonment of totally innocent people is a good idea, as long as it's carried out by the FARC ghouls. Have these people ever devoted even a moment's thought to the despicable crime against humanity that kidnapping represnets ? They should read this report from the BBC:

For more than a year Juan Carlos Lecompte has been waiting for information about the whereabouts of his wife, the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. She was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in February 2002.
But like the families and friends of more than a thousand people who have been kidnapped, Mr Lecompte does not give up. He often sends messages to Ingrid via radio programmes created to maintain a link between those held captive and their families.
"We are well. It's you who need to resist and keep on going. Take care my love. I love you very much and I'll see you soon" is how Mr Lecompte ended his latest message, broadcast on the Voces del Secuestro (Hostage Voices) programme last week.
Voces was created by journalist Herbin Hoyos in April 1994 after he spent two weeks in captivity at the hands of FARC. People of all ages, from across Colombia take part. The messages they send are varied and highly emotional. They can range from a child telling his father that he has lost a milk tooth, to a wife who blames the government for not negotiating with the rebels for the hostages' release.
"For many hostages, taken into the jungle or mountains for months, or in some cases for five or six years, this is the only contact with the outside world," said Mr Hoyos. "It is what keeps their hopes of freedom alive."
The sex, age or profession of victims is not taken into consideration when criminal gangs, left-wing rebels or right-wing paramilitaries carry out kidnappings, says Mr Hoyos. Those taken hostage by FARC, which is responsible for a third of kidnappings in Colombia, include children, soldiers, police and a group of government ministers.

Sandra Patricia, a dentist kidnapped for three years, said her captors bought a radio and told her and her friend the channels that transmitted programmes for hostages and at what times. They also made sure that they were never without batteries in the 11 camps that the two were forced to stay in. The rebels well know that the comforting family messages enable the hostages to have the strength to cope with the long treks and depression.
"They can also be cruel," says Jose Alfonso Villamizar, who was held hostage for two years. "Many times they would say that my family had forgotten about me and did not want to pay the ransom. But when I heard the programme I knew that my family were doing everything to get me released." The rebels use the radio to punish hostages. When a hostage behaves badly, he or she loses the right to listen to the programmes. The hostages will then do anything to get their captors to let them hear the voice of their family again.