Number 2 FARC guerrilla leader Raul Reyes killed (updated III)

Caracas, Venezuela, 1 March 2008. News from Colombia have confirmed the death of 60 year old FARC leader Luis Edgar Devia, nicknamed Raul Reyes, early this morning. Raul Reyes died during a combat with Colombian army and police forces at the Putumayo region near Ecuador. Other 26 FARC members died in the combat.

Reyes was a prominent leader of the seven-member secretariat of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Reyes was also included in a most wanted list accused for murder, terrorism, drug trafficking and kidnapping.  According to the Colombian Ministry of Defense, it is the first death of a FARC secretariat member. Raul Reyes participated was FARC international speaker and participated in various negotiations with Colombian government.

Bogotá considers the death of Reyes a mayor blow against FARC. There has been no reaction yet from the FARC secretariat. Ecuador government has said it would analyse the events that took place politically as there were fears its territory was violated. According to Telesur, French President Nicolas Zarkozy said that selective military operations have damaged a dynamic atmosphere in which FARC unilaterally released its hostages. In his last interview, Reyes expressed a favourable view on the humanitarian exchage of prisioners.

 There has been no official comment on the death of Reyes by the Venezuelan government. However, some members of the opposition have expressed this death could debilitate FARC and deteriorate current Chavez policy toward Colombia. For the Venezuelan opposition, Chavez is supporting FARC according to an old dictum: Divide and reign.

Updates: In a later televised statement, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez criticized the circumstances surrounding the killing of Raul Reyes. Chavez perceived it as the result of US pressure on Colombia government. He also disapproved how the frontier with Ecuador was violated and suggested such action equated Colombia with Israeli practices in the Middle East. Finally, Chavez concluded that if a similar Colombian incursion occurred in Venezuela territory it would be interpreted as a war act.  In a subsequent communiqué, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affair expressed that Reyes´ death was a severe blow to the negotiation of a Humanitarian deal in Colombia. 

In reaction to the Colombian incursion in its territory, Ecuador government recalled its Ambassador to Bogotá. It also sent a diplomatic note requesting further clarification on the attacks to FARC members in its territory by Colombian Army and Police forces. President Correa received a morning call from Colombian head of State Alvaro Uribe. During the telephone conversation Uribe provided information which Correa later founded to be misleading.  During the evening, President Correa asked himself whether Uribe had been misinformed or cheated on purpose to the Ecuadorian government. Colombian incursion in Ecuador territory has been considered as an aggresion and a military invasion.

On Sunday, 2 March 2008, Colombian government issued an statement rejecting suggestions it had violated the Ecuadorian territory yesterday during combat with FARC. It also said its military and police forces acted in self defence when confronting FARC. On the other hand, Ecuador sent trops to its Colombian frontier at Putumayo and people traffic was restricted. President Correa also cancelled a planned trip to Cuba tomorrow.  In its first reaction, FARC said the death of Raul Reyes would not affect the ongoing negotiation of a Humanitarian deal. In a televised interview, Colombian senator and Humanitarian negotiator, Piedad Cordoba, said current Defence Minister in her country, Juan Manuel Sánchez,  was a genuine representative of the US government. Cordoba also expressed Sanchez had his own interest to protect when acting on behalf of the US policies.

Sources:  Caracol,  RCN, Globovision, El Pais.es, VTV, Prensa Latina, Telesur, BBC, El Tiempo, El Colombiano, Vanguardia, Le Figaro, Unionradio, Le Monde, El Universal, PrInside, ABN, Guardian, RFI,