After Sureshot

I. Title: After Sureshot, Source: The Economist, May, 29th
http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11455759

II. Summary:
Manuel Marulanda or “Sureshot”, was the president of FARC, a danderous colombian guerilla insurgent (or as Colombia says, terrorist) group that was established in the 60's as a military wing of the Colombian Comunist party. Marulanda refused peace talks and never gave up his violent campaign. He, including two other members of the FARC's seven-man secretariat, Raúl Reyes Iván Ríos have recently died. Sureshot's death seems to be leading to the end of FARC as a danger to Colombia. For many years, FARC has been drug-trafficking, bombing, recruiting, threatening Bogotá (the capital), kidnapping, and refusing peace talks with the government. Now that Manuel Marulanda and several other major members are dead, FARC seems to be dividing and becoming smaller. Freddy Padilla de León (the armed-forces' commander) says that this is happening to FARC becasue “they are reduced militarily, isolated politically, have a reduced social base and we are cutting their finance (by acting against their drug business). " Actions against FARC have been made by the Colombian government. For example, Álvaro Uribe, the colombian president expanded security forces by a third and appointed 80,000 professional soldiers, backed them with a helicopter fleet, Brazilian tactical bombers and advice from the US in cutting off FARC's ability to communicate. These efforts of the goverment are now showing results, but there is one problem, there are signs Venezuela is helping FARC. By continuing its efforts, the Colombian government hopes to get FARC to start negotiating. The colombian government thinks after Sureshot's death, success doesn't seem far off.

III. Reactions:

• This article relates to the themem of State-building, expansion and conflict. This is because FARC is a rebel group that has been in conflict with Colombian goverment for around 60 years.
• Historical backround: FARC was established in the 60's as a military wing of the Colombian Communist party and originated as a guerrilla movement. It has been involved in drug-trafficing (in the 80's cocaine in particular), kidnapping, recruiting, bombing and threatening the Colombian government. All the while, FARC has continously refused peace talks and even after Marulanda's death Cano (new leader after Sureshot's death) said that FARC will continue in the “struggle for political power.”
• The point of view is that of a British outsider.
• The author is in favor of the Colombian government and against FARC, this is because FARC is a communist group that drug-traffics, kidnaps, bombs, and threatens Colombian government.
• Many are leaving FARC, they are referred to as deserters. I would like to hear from their point of view. This is because they would be able to provide their own insight and knowlegde. They are different from the main leaders of FARC (like Cano) because they would most likely have no reason to put on fake front of FARC's "struggle for political power" if it is really crumbling in numbers and other aspects (and starting to hand in the towel).
• My reaction is that I hope that the Colombian government is successful in defeating FARC. I also hope that what Freddy Padilla de León says about FARC's current decline is true.