A loud shout for freedom

By The Daily Progress

Published: July 23, 2008

Humanity. Decency. Righteous anger. Respect for freedom.

All these were on display in this week’s remarkable worldwide display of opposition to a brutal Colombian rebel gang.

Millions of people across the globe rallied on July 20 in support of hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known as FARC in its Spanish acronym).

Amid America’s war on terrorism, we forget that FARC is one of the oldest, and heretofore most successful, terrorist organizations on the planet. Nearly 700 hostages remain under its control, it is estimated.
There was a time, when Marxist philosophy was on the ascendant in Latin America, that FARC was viewed by many Colombians as a justifiable rebellion against oppressive government.

But times have changed. Latin American democracies are coming of age — sometimes slowly, with inevi-table setbacks, but inexorably. Oppres-sive policies are giving way to enlightened governance.
Democracy enables economic pro-gress; living conditions improve, and people see less reason for rebellion. Democracy also provides the kind of stability that creates true strength, so that Colombia’s government has slowly gained the practical power and popular support to successfully challenge FARC.

Against this changed background, FARC’s unrelenting brutality has triggered universal outrage. Even Cuba’s Fidel Castro, who once supported revolution in Colombia, has denounced the organization’s atrocities.
Many observers believe that FARC’s cruelties, meant to intimidate the populace, have instead backfired.

Outrage against the organization’s inhumanity was stunningly displayed on Sunday, when millions converged on streets and parks in cities from Bogota to Paris. Many demonstrators wore symbolic white or black, and carried chains or signs proclaiming their sympathy for the hostages.

The day was Colombia’s Independence Day.
Now it is FARC that is the oppressor, the villain — not the Colombian government.
Its murders and kidnappings, its inhumane treatment of hostages, are unconscionable.

Its struggle is politically outdated.

While FARC has held on to old revolutionary tactics, Colombia has grown up. Its republican government functions well, its democracy has provided for orderly elections and transferal of power, its economy has expanded especially in the last five years.
Colombians are solving their problems peacefully, democratically.

And they increasingly reject FARC’s extremism.
Colombia’s example shows the deep-rooted desire of people to be free, to run their own affairs, to prosper in a setting of liberty.
Colombia’s example shows how those desires, given opportunity, can flourish into self-determination.

And Colombians’ mass demonstrations of solidarity with oppressed hostages is a rousing shout against an evil that now taints their remarkable progress.