Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 2 November 2017

Colombia:
Ex-rebel commander Timochenko to run for presidency

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO a higher approval rating
Associated Press than the nation’s tradition-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) al political parties. Recent
— Colombia’s demobilized corruption scandals and
guerilla movement nomi- division over the peace
nated Rodrigo Londono process have tarnished
on Wednesday to run many Colombians’ opinion
for president in the South of their nation’s political
American nation’s elec- leaders. Still, Londono and
tion next year, keeping the the other former rebels vy-
former top commander at ing for political office are
the helm of the rebels’ na- certain to face an uphill
scent political party. battle.
Londono, better known FARC leaders are hoping
by his alias Timochenko, to mobilize long-marginal-
became the leader of ized Colombians living in
the now-disbanded Revo- one of the world’s most un-
lutionary Armed Forces equal nations. The peace
of Colombia in 2011 and accord guarantees the
has been a key figure in ex-combatants 10 seats in
the peace process to end Congress and candidates
Latin America’s longest- for those posts were also
running conflict. Ivan Marquez, a former leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, announces announced Wednesday.
Londono and President that their one-time top commander, Rodrigo Londono, will run for president in next year’s election They have settled on a
during a press conference in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. Marquez also an-
Juan Manuel Santos nounced the names of other nine former rebel leaders who, with him, will fill 10 seats in Congress political platform that is
signed an historic accord guaranteed to the FARC political party on a temporary basis as part of last year’s peace deal. scarce on details, but will
last year in which rebels (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) prioritize eliminating cor-
agreed to lay down their those who dream of a new batants have taken in The party is led by a po- ruption, promoting social
weapons and confess their country will have their rep- recent months to ensure litical council that consists and economic equality
war crimes in exchange for resentation,” said Ivan Mar- the group’s historical lead- almost entirely of leaders and eradicating poverty.
state pledges to improve quez, a former rebel leader ers remain at the forefront who have spent decades Imelda Daza Cotes, who
conditions in the nation’s who served as chief nego- of their political agenda. with the organization. the FARC is nominating
impoverished rural com- tiator during talks with the The former rebels have Polls within Colombia show for vice president, said
munities and facilitate the government. changed their official the FARC remains deeply the party’s idea is not to
rebels’ start as a new politi- The selection of Londo- name but preserved the unpopular, though one re- change the nation’s eco-
cal party. no falls in line with previ- Spanish acronym by which cent Gallup survey showed nomic model but to im-
“The common people and ous steps the ex-com- they are known, the FARC. the ex-combatants have prove it. q

Australian sentenced 6 years for drug smuggling in Colombia

By CESAR GARCIA conduct, his client could story several times, later between mocking the Ad- anti-narcotics aid that has
Associated Press be released from prison in claiming she had been set elaide native as “Cocaine strengthened law enforce-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) A as little as two years and up and threatened by peo- Cassie” and expressing ment. Many families have
judge in Colombia has sen- placed under house arrest ple back in Sydney, where sympathy with the plight of sad tales of loved ones
tenced an Australian wom- even before then. She must she said she worked as a Australia’s highest-profile who’ve spent years behind
an to six years in jail after also pay a fine of nearly receptionist at a brothel. foreign prisoner. But the few bars in the U.S. and else-
she pleaded guilty to drug $100,000.Sainsbury was ar- Prosecutors, in seeking leni- Colombians who followed where after being drawn
trafficking in a high-profile rested in April at Bogota’s ency, were persuaded that the case at all tended to by economic hardship into
case that has shed light on international airport board- her crimes weren’t so black be deeply offended by her the lower rungs of the drug
the plight of foreign drug ing a flight to London after and white, said Herran. family’s early statement trade.As tourism to Colom-
mules.Cassandra Sainsbury an X-ray machine detect- “She’s lucky because the that she couldn’t receive a bia has boomed over the
was accompanied by her ed in her luggage about amount of the drugs was fair trial in such a “corrupt past decade, the country’s
family on Wednesday as the 6 kilograms (13 pounds) of very big,” he told a bevy country.”Colombia is the drug cartels are increas-
judge accepted the plea cocaine stashed in pack- of Australian journalists who world’s largest producer ingly recruiting foreigners
deal — a huge reduction ages of headphones that traveled to Colombia after of cocaine and its police to smuggle cocaine out of
from the 30 years in jail she she told police she had the closed-door hearing. among the best trained the country. So far this year,
faced had the case gone purchased to bring back to Sainsbury’s arrest garnered to detect and stop drug Colombian police have
to trial. Her lawyer Orlando Australia for her wedding. top attention in Australia, smuggling thanks in part arrested 67 foreign drug
Herran said that with good However she changed her where tabloids alternated to billions of dollars in U.S. mules.q