Clinton Go Home!
Communique of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
People's Army (FARC-EP) (August 23, 2000)

As the visit of the US President in Colombia will not bring anything 
positive for the country, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and, 
in the name of millions of our citizens, declare the presence of Clinton in 
Colombian territory "non grata".

Clinton doesn't come with a message of peace. He neither comes to support 
the efforts for a political solution to the conflict, nor to suspend the 
harmful politics of the International Monetary Fund.

Clinton comes to Colombia to push forward the "Plan Colombia", that is not 
only a counter-insurgency program, but also a plan against Colombia in the 
light of imperial geopolitics.

The Plan Colombia, with its English inventors, means a serious threat 
against our peace process and a real danger of the generalisation of the 
war, a growing military intervention of the Yankees that could lead to a 
Vietnamisation, requiring the immediate solidarity of brother counties.

[There will be] ... more war equipment and technology sold by the military-
industrial complex of the United States that promotes the criminal politics 
of arming the poor countries, more financial support to an army that 
violates the human rights and executes the State paramilitarism, more North 
American military advisers like those who [are] responsible for the 
massacre of Mapiripan, repression against poor peasants and fumigation with 
chemical and biological substances that cause heavy devastation in the 
Amazon region, an ecological heritage of humanity.

With the "Plan Colombia", North American imperialism is trying to 
consolidate the neo-liberal political economy by way of military 
intervention. It attacks our sovereignty in order to impose the politics of 
the International Monetary Fund without resistance.

It means more privatisations, growing unemployment, miserable wages and, on 
the other hand, all the advantages and guarantees for the exploiters of our 
natural resources and for foreign investors.

That's why the plan is also a support for the unjust and violent Colombian 
State and its government.

Washington knows very well that there is a servile oligarchy ready to sell 
out its fatherland, in order to maintain its privileges and power, that 
will not hesitate to offer them more sweat and tears of the population and 
is even ready to hand over the country and its sovereignty to the greed of 
the empire.

But they should know that in Colombia there are a people ready to give all 
in defence of the fatherland.

With the "Plan Colombia" the United States also intends to pressure the 
insurgent forces. But we can assure that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of 
Colombia, supported by the people, will not accept any ultimatum.

Our will to fight cannot be destroyed and is strongly linked to the fight 
for social justice, real democracy, full sovereignty and a new State of the 
people and for the people.

We call to the Colombian people to express in all possible forms, with a 
sentiment for the fatherland and with dignity, inspired by anti-imperialism 
and the Latin American unity expressed by our liberator Simon Bolivar, 
their rejection of the imperialist visit, his Plan Colombia and of the 
oligarchy that sells out our fatherland.

National Liberation Army

In a separate communique (August 28, 2000) the National Liberation Army of 
Colombia (ELN) said:

Under the pretext of fighting against the drug trade, the United States 
worked out a plan to invade Colombia, with the main target of stopping the 
growth of the insurgent movement and of strengthening the economic, 
political and military intervention they have promoted since the beginnings 
of the last century.

About 80 per cent of the US$930 million that are at the disposal of the 
"Plan Colombia" are obligated for military resources.

The visit of Clinton is a real blessing for the dirty war promoted by the 
narco-paramilitary cartel and it is an invitation to all the drug traffic 
to go on legalising its capital in the United States.

The visit of President Clinton is a colonial ceremony of domination and the 
inauguration of a new phase of a war of intervention that makes clear the 
politics of the Colombian Government of Andres Pastrana against our 
sovereignty.

The ELN joins all the manifestations of popular rejection against the 
presence of this "Persona Non Grata" that violates the dignity and 
sovereignty of Colombia.

Colombia for the Workers. Not a step backward!

Liberation or Death!

Venezuela's President, Hugh Chavez said last week that the Colombia Plan 
could degenerate into an Amazonian Vietnam if efforts are oriented towards 
military rather than social solutions.

"It would be a highly dangerous if the operation leads to a military 
escalation", he said. "The only solution is a peaceful one."

Venezuela shares a 2,240-kilometre border with Colombia.

Brazilian Government officials have also expressed fears that the Colombia 
Plan will lead to drug traffickers and guerilla bands crossing the border 
to seek refuge.

Brazil has placed on alert 22,000 soldiers stationed in garrisons 
throughout the Amazonian region.