Not a Pretty Picture - The FARC in Fotos

On July 2, 2008, the international community celebrated the news of the rescue and liberation of Ingrid Betancourt, the former Colombian presidential candidate kidnapped by the FARC and held in captivity for over 7 years. The rescue, which she deemed, "a perfect operation", also set free three U.S. citizens who had worked as contractors in Colombia.

The rescue mission was conducted by the Colombian army under the administration of President Alvaro Uribe. U.S. senator Bill Richardson played a part in the planning of the operation. What was most remarkable was that not a single shot was fired. Hopefully, this will set the example of using brains rather than brawn in other places in the world.

July 11, 2008 - Comment: Fortunately, the recent successful rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and the 14 other captives is undermining the FARC's power with every passing day.

We've taken a guerilla approach to assembling this page of disturbing photos of the FARC and FARC committed atrocities circulating on the Internet. I do not hold the rights to these images which arrived in my email folder today from a dear friend whose name I will mention once I have his permission. But I feel it's a worthy risk to publish them here. I would like to acknowlege the photographers of these photos and will as soon as I can obtain their names.

The impunity with which the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Colombianas - or - Armed Revolutionary Colombian Forces) treat children is heartbreaking. The recruiting of underage boys and girls into military service is a violation of international law. The government of Colombia, though by no means a perfect one, does not engage in this practice. The renegade FARC, however, does. The images on this page will get progressively more horrible, but are important to see.

In my humble opinion, revolution does not need to be this bloody cruel. This is not an uprising. This is a band of thugs funded by narcotraffic preying on the lives of innocent people. Politics? I Think Not.

"Guerrilleros del frente 27 de las FARC, en uno de sus tìpicos actos de barbarie, degollaron a un niño, acusándolo de no compartir sus ideales armados. Después de asesinarlo lo llenaron de explosivos y lo enviaron a las Tropas del Ejército envuelto en papel regalo y con una carta, en donde ademàs de atribuirse el terrible hecho de una forma burlezca, amenazaron con continuar efectuando este tipo de actos. El terrible homicidio se presentò en el municipio de Vistahermosa, departamento del Meta." (Soon to be translated into English).