Free Republic

Colombia has officially announced the death of Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, the commander of Latin America's largest armed group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). David Moreno, an admiral in the Colombian navy, confirmed in Bogota on Saturday previous statements by senior officials suggesting that Marulanda was no longer alive. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's defence minister, had told Semana magazine that Marulanda, Farc's leader for four decades and believed to be about 80 years old, may have died on March 26, citing "a source who has never failed us". He said quoting "guerrillas" that Marulanda died of a heart attack,...

Telephone Call from Chavez to "Reyes" Allowed Colombians to Locate FARC Camp Elpais.com.co-EFE A telephone call that the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, would have made to the guerrilla leader "Raul Reyes,"1 permitted location of the encampment, according to reports from Colombian intelligence, RCN Radio divulged today. The telephone call took place Wednesday the 27th of February, the day in which four Colombian Congressmen (Gloria Polanco, Luis Eladio Pérez, Orlando Beltrán, Jorge Eduardo Gechem), kidnapped for almost seven years, were liberated.2 "Chavez, emotionally moved by the liberation of the kidnapped prisoners, called Reyes (alias of Luis Edgar Devia) and told...