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The first reference to the murder of Álvaro Gómez Hurtado by the Farc is in a book called ‘Letters and documents of Manuel Marulanda Vélez (1993-1998)’ which, according to what has been written, was published by this guerrilla “in a small paperback edition for clandestine circulation ”.
In dialogue with EL TIEMPO, this Monday morning, Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, today head of the political party Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (Farc), emerged from the peace negotiation between the Colombian State and the then guerrilla of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Farc-Ep) confirmed the existence of the book.
(Can read: Gómez Hurtado’s family does not believe in recognition of the Farc)
The first time the book was known was in a column in the newspaper EL TIEMPO, signed by the senator of the Democratic Center José Obdulio Gaviria, one of the men closest to former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
Gaviria said, on July 17, 2012, that a copy was delivered to him on a trip to San Vicente del Caguán. “Providencia wanted to put a historical document in my hands and decided to make me go to an unusual place to receive it: the Caguán airport,” he wrote that day in EL TIEMPO.
“At 3 o’clock in the afternoon on a flowy Monday in May 2012, when I was waiting for the plane to return to Bogotá, a person who had wanted to talk to me for months and had no idea how to locate me could see me. “God sent it to me!” He said. “Don’t move, I’m going to bring you something!” He said.
“That is the story of why I have in my possession the book Letters and Documents by Manuel Marulanda Vélez (1993-1998). The Farc published it in a small and paperback edition for clandestine circulation, ”he said.
(Further: The debate that opened the FARC’s confession about the murder of Gómez Hurtado)
“A demobilized person chose me as a trustee, because, he said,” I watch your television programs and read your articles; that is why I know that you will know how to value this jewel, “he said.
It has transpired that the Farc made a compilation, some sources say that the book has 1200 pages, which contains texts by Manuel Marulanda Vélez between 1993, a date that coincides with the offensives of the government of César Gaviria against the Farc, and 1998, year in which the Caguán peace process began.
(It may be of your interest: Samper explains why he feels a victim of the FARC’s silence)
In several of the messages ‘Tirofijo’ refers to the murder of the conservative leader Álvaro Gómez Hurtado, the victim of an attack when he was leaving the Sergio Arboleda University, on the morning of November 2, 1995.
In these they say the following:
In a letter sent to Comrade Jorge (Jorge Briceño, ‘el Mono Jojoy’) on November 3, 1995, one day after the murder of Álvaro Gómez, says Marulanda Vélez.
November 3 – Letter addressed to Comrade Jorge
“Note: Regarding the execution of Gómez hurtado (sic), we can exchange opinions with the secretariat, to see how long it can be kept in reserve or at what opportune moment we can say it.”
Two days later, on November 5, he says:
Letter addressed to Comrades of the Secretariat
“4. The death of the lord of the “independent republics” (that’s what Álvaro Gómez Hurtado was called) I think we can study when it should be known. For now, do intelligence to see if they discover who it was. “
A month later, on December 2, there is another:
“Letter addressed to Comrade Alfonso Cano
“Comrade Alfonso. I greet you cordially and take the opportunity to reply.
1. About Gómez, better not to say anything. The day will come for it ”.
And on December 4 one more letter:
To ‘Comrades of the Secretariat’
“I cordially greet you in union with all those who accompany you and at the same time to comment: (…)
We must keep Mr. Gómez’s thing a secret, to see how we are helping to deepen the contradictions, while we lower others. And among other things, the major states of blocs and joint commands should not forget the creation of commands to dismiss reactionary political leaders, and thus help to deepen the contradictions in the political regime ”.
(We also suggest: ‘I always said that I had not killed Álvaro Gómez, that he was innocent’)
On December 8th comes another
Letter addressed to Comrades of the Secretariat
“Comrades from the secretariat. I cordially greet you in union with all those who accompany you. Then the following: (…)
I remember very well on the occasion of Gómez’s death, which position we should take, to see how the contradictions in the parties deepened and this happened. Raúl (Raúl Reyes), on cable says that Mosquera (commander of the Southern Bloc who was discharged in 2011) visited him and commented that the military commanders knew who was responsible, whose document they would pass on to the party (Communist Party). Evidence does not have it because we have not officially said it Alfonso tells me that Miguel asked for sure that it was us. For this reason, we called Carlos Antonio (Carlos Antonio Losada), and he said no and that they also have no contact with the party. We continue to investigate the others. Now we have to know what source the party has. In keeping with this, any of us who converse with them should point out the source. To know. Because we are not obliged to explain things like this to anyone. But we do have to know where things are going. ”
The then commander of the Farc, concludes:
“The documents that I am going to send you are delicate, they say a little bit of everything.
Without more, cordially, Atte. Manuel”
From the texts of the letter it is inferred that Marulanda, Jojoy and Alfonso Cano knew of the responsibility for the murder of Gómez Hurtado.
(Further: Truth Commission will listen to the parties after Farc confession)
There is a fact that is not marginal in the surprising turn that this story has taken: most of those who are mentioned in the supposed book by Marulanda Vélez are dead:
Indeed, Marulanda died on March 26, 2008, a natural death in the department of Meta at the age of 77.
Days before, on March 1, 2008, Luis Edgar Devia Silva, ‘Raúl Reyes’, had fallen in an air attack, 1.8 kilometers inside Ecuador, which unleashed a strong diplomatic crisis.
Víctor Julio Suárez Rojas, Mono Jojoy, killed in a bombing by the Armed Forces on September 22, 2010, in La Macarena, Meta.
And Guillermo León Sáenz Vargas, alias Alfonso Cano, died in a bombing by the Armed Forces in Suárez, Cauca, on November 4, 2011, precisely when he was the number one of this guerrilla.
Among the people mentioned in the letters, Carlos Antonio Lozada survives. This is Julián Gallo Cubillos, today a senator of the republic, he was one of the negotiators and signatories of the Peace Accords between the government and the FARC-EP.
On the morning of this Monday, EL TIEMPO asked him about the book: “At the moment we are not going to refer to the subject of Álvaro Gómez in any sense,” he replied.
POLITICS
