Dissidents of the former FARC have threatened to interfere in Colombia’s regional elections, scheduled for October 29, following the breakdown of the temporary nationwide bilateral ceasefire with the government. The Central General Staff, the largest FARC faction, issued a communiqué accusing the government of announcing military operations in four departments and of not respecting jointly agreed mechanisms to monitor and resolve problems in the territories.
In the communiqué, the dissidents warn political parties that promote war and intend to carry out regional electoral campaigns that they are not welcome in the areas under their control and will be returned to checkpoints. They also urge local candidates to reject the support of traditional or war-mongering political parties, as well as those backed by paramilitary doctrine.
In addition, they announce that they will sanction acts of corruption, such as the buying or selling of votes and making false promises, by enforcing Law 003 of 2000. They emphasize the importance of new representatives, knowledgeable of the realities of the territories, assuming representative positions to promote peace instead of fomenting war, as has historically occurred in Colombia.
Despite the breakdown of the ceasefire, the dissidences reiterate their commitment to fight for peace with social justice, whether through political spaces or in the context of war. The Colombian government suspended the bilateral ceasefire in four departments after the murder of four indigenous minors recruited by the dissidents of the Central General Staff.