The United States Department of State confirmed this Tuesday (30) the removal of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) from its list of terrorist groups, after 24 years of inclusion, by guaranteeing that it is no longer just one “unified organization”.
“After the peace agreement with the Colombian government, the FARC dissolved and formally disarmed. They no longer exist as a unified organization that is involved in terrorism, in terrorist activities or that has the capacity or intention to do so,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
The decision comes just days after the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the country agreement signed between the extinct guerrilla group and the government of Colombia, then presided over by Juan Manuel Santos.
The State Department said, however, that the announcement of the removal from the list of terrorist organizations does not eliminate the charges that may arise in the United States for drug trafficking and other crimes, against former FARC members.
Blinken said that this decision is trying to strengthen Washington’s ability to “better support the adoption of the 2016 agreements, including in working with demobilized combatants.”
In addition, the statement released by the State Department indicates that two groups associated with the FARC were included in the list of terrorist organizations, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People’s Army (FArc-EP) and the Second Marquetalia group.
The leaders of these groups, Luciano Marín Arango, Hernán Dario Velásquez Saldarriaga, Henry Castellanos Garzón, Nestor Gregorio Vera Fernández, Miguel Santanilla Botache and Euclides España Caicedo, also become part of the American relationship.
The FARC were included on the American list in 1997; as a result, members were banned from entering the United States, in addition to restricting access to the international financial system, among other sanctions.
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