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Colombia’s Crisis: The Unchecked Horror of the FARC and the Betrayal of Victims
In a shocking reality that has plagued Colombia for over fifty years, violence and terror reign supreme. The ongoing armed conflict between guerrilla groups and the government has turned innocent civilians into victims, enduring forced displacement, homicides, torture, and kidnappings. Sofía Gaviria warns us that the true casualties are the *unwillingly quiet majority* of Colombians, those who, like her, are suffering the fallout of this internal war.
Once a senator and now the founder of the *Federation of Victims of Terrorism in Colombia*, Gaviria witnessed the brutality firsthand. Since resigning her ambassadorship in Switzerland under Gustavo Petro’s administration, she has become a fierce advocate for victims of gang violence—an issue that remains tragically unaddressed.
“The FARC must pay for the horrors they committed.”
Brought up in Medellín, Gaviria recalls a harrowing childhood marked by violence: “My mother was kidnapped for ransom when I was just twelve,” she states emphatically. “My family has been a target for years because of our fight against corruption. You won’t hear these stories from the liberal elite.”
During Juan Manuel Santos’s government, a peace agreement was signed in 2016, but it was anything but a triumph for the Colombian people. According to Gaviria, the deal was a scam, suggesting the radicals of the FARC were let off the hook while victims languished in silence: “This was a money-laundering operation disguised as peace,” she asserts. “We were deceived!”
A Deceitful Peace Process Favors the Guilty
The aftermath of the peace treaty is grim. Victims have not seen justice; instead, the *FARC leadership continues to evade accountability*. Gaviria highlights that “the FARC must pay for the horrors they committed: 300,000 murdered and nearly 22,000 kidnapped. The justice system created by this so-called peace process only grants them impunity!”
“For Colombians, the award to Juan Manuel Santos is a shame.”
With the recent surge in violence, especially after the attacks in Cali and Antioquia, the situation has only worsened. “Today, Colombia battles an unprecedented cocaine epidemic, with 300,000 hectares of coca being cultivated—this is indicative of failed policies, and it shows we are on the brink of becoming a failed state,” Gaviria warns. “And we are told that the *current government* is our salvation? It has failed miserably!”
The Call for True Leadership in Latin America
Addressing the broader issues in Latin America, Gaviria argues for the restoration of democracy in the region. She states, “If Trump manages to dethrone Maduro, that will be the beginning of the end for the dictatorships plaguing our continent.” To her, foreign intervention could be the key; she passionately believes, “Our lives depend on standing against these oppressive regimes.”
Colombia’s future hangs in the balance, and with voices like Sofía Gaviria rising to expose the truths, there is hope. But will the Colombian government take action, or will they continue to turn a blind eye to the pain of their people?
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