Colombia Says FARC Rebel Leader Is Dead

The legendary leader of Colombia's FARC guerrillas has died, the country's defense minister says, a development that if true would be the latest and most severe blow to Latin America's largest rebel group.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos told the Colombian weekly Semana in an interview published Saturday that Manuel ''Sure Shot'' Marulanda died March 26. He cited a confidential source "who has never failed us."'

Santos said guerrilla sources had reported that Marulanda died from a heart attack. But he added that government forces bombed Marulanda's presumed jungle hideout three times around March 26.

"We don't have proof for one version or the other," Santos was quoted as saying.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[GnitenGoodLk]

Colombia, Mexico, same problems, same source,

Ever looked into what's in Coca Cola (Vicente Fox WAS a high level exec for them you know...)

"de-cocanized" coca. Who has alot of it? Why, Colombia, of course. Why is it so difficult to keep the folks growing it from siphoning the supply for nefarious reasons? Who knows. Probably poverty. You step outside the beautiful tourist areas and there's a vast country of poverty & gas/oil development projects, etc. Look it up. And some people wonder why they're "addicted" to soda.

I read there was an oil pipeline built from Venezuela to Colombia too. Methinks this may be why we're so preoccupied with opening up trade with them post haste.

Maybe we can make sure it's a GOOD agreement. Write in protections for workers on both sides. That would eliminate ALOT of animosity. Write in social project goals, schools/infrastructure requirements to be met or Colombia loses $$ in penalties. Crime reduction goals. And of course, equitable job/factory investment for US workers or lose the deal completely. And it wouldn't hurt if they got rid of the coca from the cola. Might even solve their drug problems over there. Make large incentives for environmentally friendly industries, etc.

Make FARC obsolete this way. Regain our rep around the world. I see no downside.

[JulieSA]

Good news for civilized people everywhere.

[Artigano]

Marulanda wasn't the leader of FARC. The leaders of FARC are Hugo Chavez and Rafael Correa.

[Bluedog12]

FARCAN propaganda or truth? As in Iraq with the al qaeda "Number 3" which we have killed countless times, is this true or convenience?

[MajorKong]

The FARC is a terrorist organization. The Columbian government supports death squads and has a terrible human rights record. Who says I have to like either one of them?

[panchovilla]

Colombia's "defense" minister is less reliable a source than Pinocchio.

[Artigano]

FARC has also acknowledged that Marulanda died.

[VivaZapata]

Poor Colombia: the greatest victim of dineros yanquis

[loki]

sounds like more propaganda to try to gain support for the give away more of American trade to Columbia treaty Bush wants so he can get a military base on the Columbian border facing Chavez oil country.

Its like they use in Iraq. Claim some leader of Al Qaeda is dead to gain support for funding more dead beat no bid buddy contractors in Iraq.

[ResidentChimp]

Only the white flag waving surrender monkeys would consider this terrorist thug "legendary". The tide is turning for Columbia and if Obama is elected, we may be sure he will side with the Marxists, Chavez, Ortega and Correa.

[Hare]

Marulanda died trying to change the Colombian status quo. For over forty years his passion made him blind to time and the changes of time.Whether you agree or not with his political stance his legacy is that he died trying to do what he though was the right thing to do.

Do post me

[Artigano]

If kidnapping, bombing, murdering, displacing and drug trafficking is trying to "change the status quo," then I guess he died trying to do that.

[ResidentChimp]

Marulanda was a terrorist thug who used kidnapping and drug smuggling to line his own pocket. What justification is there for killing innocent people? Why do liberals idolize criminals while villifying our own leaders who are head and shoulders above the terrorists?

[Hare]

After over 40 years of fighting this is how Marulanda's life ends. No positive changes to the Colombian society accomplished. Most of his life given to ideals that are now part of what could have been. The last and longest guerrillero ever. A legacy that no one can take away from him. At least he died trying!!!!

[Artigano]

Perhaps you would think differently if you were one of the family members of the people he kidnapped and held in the jungle for ranson for years. He was a coward. Instead of directly fighting the Colombian army, he used kidnapped people as human shields. If there were no Ingrid Betancourts being held in jungle camps, don't you think the Colombian army would have destroyed him years ago?

[andyg]

the next che, rotting in the ground.

[Ramirez]

Thank you HuffPo, for the "feel-good" story of the day.

[flacon]

This news will make organized labor and their democratic lapdogs very unhappy.