Timochenko recognizes the responsibility of the Farc in attacks against Germán Vargas Lleras

The former combatant and leader of the extinct FARC, Rodrigo Londoño, better known as Timochenko, confessed through a letter to former president Juan Manuel Santos, the responsibility of the guerrilla group in two attacks perpetrated against the then senator Germán Vargas Lleras. The events correspond to a book bomb, which the former vice president received in 2002, and a car bomb detonated against him in 2005.

“Despite foreseeable consequences, we recognized the crime of Dr. Álvaro Gómez Hurtado and other Colombians who died during the conflict. Likewise, we will acknowledge before the authorities of truth, the two attacks that the Farc-EP planned and executed against its vice president Germán Vargas Lleras, from whom we will also humbly apologize, ”confessed ‘Timochenko’ in the letter dated November 2.

The attack in which a book bomb was detonated against the former vice president and twice presidential candidate cost him, among other consequences, the loss of two fingers on his right hand. As Vargas Lleras related, on December 13, 2002, he found an agenda in his office in the Congress of the Republic that, according to the information in the package, was sent by his wife, Luz María Zapata. The agenda ended up partially detonating and left the senator, according to his account, with his right hand “hanging by a thread,” as he told Semana. For that attack, two arrests were made without convictions, but so far no insurgent group had declared their responsibility.

In the letter, Londoño expresses his respect to Santos, calls him “architect of peace” and expresses a “debt” to the administration of the former president.

“It is necessary for the country that the other actors in the conflict also contribute truth to the system. We also have a debt with you and your Government, since we signed the Agreement, we knew that this moment would come and we are going to pay it off in order to comply with it, “said the former combatant.,who also confirmed the commitment of the extinct armed group with the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

In the document, Londoño even expresses his concern about the referendum promoted by the Democratic Center party to repeal the JEP and emphasizes that, from the beginning, it was known that the entire country was not going to be happy with the result of the Peace Agreement.

Given this, ‘Timochenko’ assures that “today more than ever we evidence this latest forecast. Coinciding with the Pilgrimage for Peace and Life, the country hears a referendum project that intends to destroy the Peace Accords. A dilemma that is clearly posed to Colombia. I have no doubt, Dr. Santos, which side you are on, or the way you will defend your work ”.

The attacks in question

The first attack, which occurred on December 13, 2002, was the implantation of a book bomb in his office as a senator of the Republic. According to his testimony, at around 7 pm, he detonated the bomb that would cause him to lose two fingers and burn his neck and arms. The explosive, type C-4, entered the facilities of the Congress of the Republic without any resistance and partially detonated, a fact that, according to the politician, saved his life.

The then senator was treated at the Santa Fe Foundation, north of Bogotá, and was immediately intervened. He had several months of convalescence and, according to what he told Semana, he has complete sensitivity in his right hand and, despite the serious injuries, he only has a scar of about four inches on his wrist.

On October 10, 2005, when he left the Hora 20 program on Caracol Radio at around 9 o’clock at night, Vargas Lleras suffered a car bomb attack. The former vice president, who was in a security caravan, was unhurt and was far from the detonation area. However, the bomb, triggered on the ninth race, caused serious damage to the surroundings and resulted in serious injuries to the bodyguards of the political roll.

The hypothesis that Vargas Lleras maintained was an alleged action of the State against him, headed by the controversial Administrative Department of Security (DAS). According to 2018 statements, the former presidential candidate affirmed that the liquidated entity was behind the attack, which, he says, almost cost him his life. In addition, he assured that the then president, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, tried to take political advantage of what happened.

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