The former second-in-command of the FARC rebels announced Wednesday the creation of a political movement, a week after announcing he was taking up arms once more.

In a video posted on YouTube, Ivan Marquez, the Marxist group's chief negotiator for the 2016 peace agreement, announced the birth of a group that he said would work "clandestinely."

"The members of the new movement will have a mission in the social sector where they live, work, or study, without it being public knowledge of their political affiliation," he said.

Marquez's whereabouts have been unknown for more than a year, but authorities suspect he has found refuge in neighboring Venezuela.

In the video, Marquez is dressed in a military uniform, with FARC flags hanging behind him. He is flanked by 15 armed men, including former rebel leaders Hernan Dario Velasquez, alias "El Paisa," and Jesus Santrich.

Santrich has been a fugitive since earlier this year after the United States sought to have him extradited on drug charges.

Last Thursday, the three rebel leaders announced a return to arms in another video message, accusing the Colombian government of betraying the peace accord signed with former president Juan Manuel Santos.

Under the accord, most of the FARC's 7,000 fighters disarmed after half a century of conflict and returned to civilian life after the accord. However, around 2,300 have refused to do so.

With Marquez at the helm, the rebels announced the creation of a new guerilla group, also called the FARC, which was initially transformed into a political party of the same name after the accord was signed.

After Marquez's original announcement, Colombian president Ivan Duque said Colombia was not "facing a new guerrilla, but facing the criminal threats of a gang of narco-terrorists."

He also accused Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro of providing the group with "shelter and support."

Related Links
Space War News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Israeli army says uncovers Hezbollah missile site
Jerusalem (AFP) Sept 3, 2019
The Israeli army said Tuesday it had exposed a Hezbollah site dedicated to the manufacture of "precision-guided" missiles in Lebanon, just days after a cross-border flare-up between the arch-foes. "The IDF is exposing a facility belonging to Hezbollah... designed to convert and manufacture precision-guided missiles," the Israeli army said in a statement. It released what it said was an aerial photograph of the site in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, near the town of Nabi Chit. The statement comes a ... read more