According to new reporting from the Wall Street Journal the Biden administration plans to take the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known infamously as FARC, off of the State Department's list of designated terrorist organizations.
"The Biden administration will remove a former Colombian rebel group from a list of foreign terrorist organizations, a measure intended to demonstrate American support for a fragile peace agreement with the guerrillas in Colombia, said U.S. and congressional officials with knowledge of the coming announcement," the paper reports. "By dropping the group’s terrorist designation, the U.S. can fund programs in Colombia in which former rebels participate, such as replacing crops used to make cocaine with legal products. One of the former top commanders of the defunct FARC, Julian Gallo, now a senator, was surprised when told about the developments in Washington."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement Wednesday to mark the fifth anniversary of the agreement.
"On behalf of the people and Government of the United States, I congratulate Colombia on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accord. Colombia’s 2016 Peace Accord ended five decades of conflict?with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and represents the path to lasting peace. The United States has a long history of supporting the Peace Accord, and we value its continuing implementation and achievements thus far," Blinken stated. "Comprehensive implementation of the Peace Accord remains a generational opportunity to strengthen access to security, democratic institutions, and economic opportunities for all Colombians. We commend Colombia’s efforts in implementing the Peace Accord and look forward to continuing our close cooperation to support lasting peace."
The pushback on the move has been swift, with some pointing out the political implications in addition to potential national security issues.
"The FARC is a terrorist and drug trafficking group that has been raping, destroying and kidnapping poor Colombian brothers for more than 60 years. Now the United States takes them off the list of terrorist organizations. This is giving these bandits a medal of honor," Congresswoman Maria Elvia Salazar tweeted.
Las FARC es un grupo terrorista y narcotraficante, que lleva más de 60 años violando, destruyendo y secuestrando a los pobres hermanos colombianos. Ahora los Estados Unidos los saca de la lista de organizaciones terroristas. Esto es darle una medalla de honor a estos bandidos. ???? pic.twitter.com/MRFcutonbw
— María Elvira Salazar ???? (@MaElviraSalazar) November 24, 2021
The @POTUS @JoeBiden decision to delist #FARC from the list of foreign terrorist organizations ignores the Marxist FARC’s condemnable kidnappings, narco-trafficking, violence, & terrorism and will further prop up the dictatorships in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. https://t.co/T83x4NdhfQ
— La Opinión Crítica ™?®? (@OpinionCriticaC) November 24, 2021
“President Biden's foreign policy long ago veered into inconsistency and incoherence, but he has shown remarkable commitment and purpose in dismantling terrorism sanctions against violent groups that threaten the national security of us and our allies. Biden-Harris officials made it a Week 1 priority to take the Iran-controlled Houthis off the terrorism list, and the Houthis responded by escalating their aggression and further hindering humanitarian assistance," Republican Senator Ted Cruz released in a statement. "Now the administration is taking steps to do the same thing for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The results of such a reckless, ideologically-driven decision will also be the same. The FARC is an organization of Marxist–Leninist narco-terrorists. For decades they have killed, kidnapped, and extorted Colombians. They have murdered and seized American citizens. They continue to pose an acute threat to Colombian security and to American interests across the region."
"Instead of bolstering our Colombian allies as they battled against the FARC and trying to bring FARC members to justice, the Biden administration is again preparing to abandon our allies and appease terrorists. Removing FARC from the list of terrorism organizations will embolden them to widen their violence and interfere with civilian activities," he continued. "It is long past time for Congress to take action and restore oversight over this administration's foreign policy, and to signal to our allies that we stand with them and to terrorist groups that they will be held accountable.”
There’s no such thing as a peace deal when you negotiate with terrorists.
— Jeanette Nuñez (@LtGovNunez) November 24, 2021
Removing the #FARC from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations not only undermines America’s interests and allies in the region but appeases despots like Maduro and Diaz-Canel.
This is a major political miscalculation by Biden.
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) November 23, 2021
There are a quarter million Colombian voters in Florida — almost 3x's the number of Venezuelan voters.
They tend to vote Dem but moved to the GOP by double-digits last year. They will abandon the Democrats in droves over this. https://t.co/upfSVpleGB
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