Santa Fe de Bogota, November 20, 1992 Seriores Coordinadora Guerrillera Sim6n Bolivar: As a group of convinced democrats who oppose violence and authori- tarian solutions of all kinds, we have the moral right to question the legiti- macy and the effectiveness of the actions that you have pursued now for many years. In the current circumstances, we oppose the means you use to carry on your struggle. Armed struggle, instead of leading to greater social justice, has engendered all kinds of extremisms, such as the resurgence of reac- tionary violence, paramilitary forces, merciless crime and excesses commit- ted by the armed forces, which we condemn with equal energy. We don't believe that you represent the popular will. On the contrary, your actions have created a climate of political and ideological confusion which is converting Colombia into a battle camp in which the most com- mon form of free expression is that made through the barrel of a gun. Such a situation cannot lead to a common dream of a democratic and joy- ous society. Your war, understandable in its origins, now goes against the grain of history. Today your standard tactics include kidnapping, coercion and forced contributions, all of which are an abominable violation of human rights. Terrorism, which you had always condemned as an illegitimate form of revolutionary struggle, is today a daily recourse. Corruption, which you also rejected in the past, has contaminated your own ranks through your dealings with drug traffickers. How is it that you ignore the traffick- ers' reactionary nature as well as their contribution to the breakdown of our communities and society? The untold and useless deaths on both sides, as well as the systematic attacks against the national wealth and the ecological disasters that you have caused are a price too high for a country that has already paid too much. Colombia deserves better. It is time for a deep and patriotic reflection, and a radical rectification of years of mistakes. It is time to search for a new and innovative form of politics more in tune with the realities of today's world. Your war, gentle- men, lost its historical significance long ago. Recognizing this fact in good faith will also be a political victory. Antonio Caballero, journalist; Gabriel Garcia Mirquez, writer, Nicolas Buenaventura, historian; Fernando Botero, painter; Eduardo Pizarro, soci- ologist; Apolinar Diaz Callejas, lawyer; Alvaro Camacho, sociologist; Daniel Samper, journalist; Luis Alberto Restrepo, philosopher; Salomon Kalmanovitz, economist; Gonzalo Sanchez, historian (plus another 50 sig- natures).
