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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 26 January 2021

Former Colombian guerrillas shed their decades-old name

By MANUEL RUEDA founders.” mainstream leftist move- He said the group is still Guzman said, it risks losing
Associated Press As part of a 2016 peace ments while others have pushing for economic poli- representation and be-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — deal with Colombia’s gov- given up on the peace cies like agricultural self- coming obsolete.
The demobilized guerrilla ernment that ended five process altogether and re- subsistence that are out of Comunes leaders said that
group known as the Revo- decades of war, the FARC turned to arms. step with Colombia’s eco- in the 2022 campaign they
lutionary Armed Forces of was allowed to register a The former guerrillas have nomic model, and that it will talk about the need to
Colombia has changed political party and was also also faced growing vio- has not complied with hu- speed up implementation
the name of its political given 10 guaranteed seats lence against members of man rights commitments of Colombia’s peace deal
party in a bid to perform in Congress for eight years. their organization. Accord- made during the peace and to improve health care
better with voters in next The organization chose to ing to the United Nations, deal. access for Colombians.
year’s congressional elec- keep its wartime Spanish- more than 250 former fight- “They have still not com- The Comunes name, party
tions. language acronym for its ers have been murdered pensated war victims, they leaders said, draws inspira-
The FARC’s political party political party, though it since the 2016 peace deal still haven’t admitted that tion from a group of Co-
will now be known as Co- changed its official name was signed. they recruited children,” lombian peasants who re-
munes, which translates to the Common Alternative Political analysts said the Guzman said. “They have belled against the Spanish
roughly to commoners or Revolutionary Force. But it new name might help to been stubborn for the past empire in the 18th century,
commons. Party leaders had poor results. distance the group from its four years, and a simple and called themselves the
said the name was select- The FARC’s presidential violent past and from dissi- name change does not “comuneros.”
ed unanimously during the candidate in 2018 retired dent groups that continue suggest that the public will Party leaders also said
party’s second national from the race early after to use the FARC acronym. find their public policies ap- that the name Comunes
conference held last week. suffering a heart attack, But Sergio Guzman, a Co- pealing.” had been used by peas-
“We agreed that the FARC while in congressional lombian political analyst, The 2022 election will be ants who were members of
name generates resistance elections the same year, said the name change was the last contest in which the communist party and
in some sectors of society” the group managed only little more than a “facelift.” the former rebels will have formed guerrilla groups in
the party said in a state- 32,000 votes or about 0.2% “There is nothing in recent guaranteed seats in Con- the 1950s to defend them-
ment. “That is why we de- of the total amount. announcements made by gress. If the party doesn’t selves from incursions by
cided on a new name … The group has also suffered the FARC that suggest they expand its electoral base, the Colombian military.q
that gathers the dreams deep divisions, with some are now in tune with what
and aspirations of our of its members heading to voters want” Guzman said.

Judge orders Uganda’s Bobi Wine freed

from house arrest

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) —
A judge ruled on Monday
that Ugandan security forc-
es cannot detain presiden-
tial challenger Bobi Wine
inside his home, rebuking
authorities for holding the
candidate under house
arrest following a disputed
election. In this Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 file photo, Uganda’s leading
Wine, whose real name opposition challenger Bobi Wine fills his ballot before voting in
is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Kampala, Uganda.
has been unable to leave Associated Press
his home since Jan. 14, they fear his presence in ing “underscores the role
when Ugandans voted in public could incite rioting. of an impartial judiciary,”
an election in which the But the judge said in his rul- adding that Washington
singer-turned-politician ing that Wine’s home is not “calls on security forces to
was the main challenger to a proper detention facility honor the decision.”
President Yoweri Museveni. and noted that authorities U.N. spokesman Stepha-
Ugandan authorities have should criminally charge ne Dujarric said: “It’s very
said Wine can only leave him if he threatens public important that the secu-
his home on the outskirts of order. rity forces do show restraint
the capital, Kampala, un- The U.S. Embassy in a Twit- and also obey ... the or-
der military escort because ter post said the judge’s rul- der.” q