FARC deserters come in from the jungle

Scotsman:

THE Colombian government is wielding a new weapon in its war against Marxist rebels – rewarding deserters handsomely for turning themselves in.

And the strategy appears to be working, with over 2,500 surrendering this year alone.

Once a mighty peasant army that held sway over large parts of Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) is being toppled thanks to billions of dollars in United States aid. President Alvaro Uribe has dispatched more troops to attack them and disrupt their communications, transport and supplies. Conflict has eased because top commanders – including female soldiers – are being bought out.

This year alone has seen the Farc lose three of its top commanders, including the legendary founder, Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda.

One Farc bodyguard surrendered in March after killing his boss and chopping off the commander's hand as proof to claim a bounty. Later, Karina, a top female guerrilla, deserted saying the Farc was "cracking" under army pressure.

Another deserter, Julie, turns heads as she walks down Seventh Avenue in downtown Bogota. Casual admiring glances would turn to fear if people realised that she was in fact a hardened combat veteran who, for ten years, was more used to creeping through the jungle with a submachine gun as a member of Farc.

Sipping on a cafe latte at a city coffee shop, Julie said: "I deserted because I was sick, but due to the pressure from the army we could not stop. I feared I would die if I did not get treatment, so I deserted."

While Julie looks more like a model than a rebel fighter, Lorena, just 23, has a boxer's build and oozes aggression. She was recruited aged 13, became the lover of a senior commander at 14 and by the time she was 15, had seen dozens of combats.

Digging into a plate of plantain and meat, Lorena said: "I fled because my unit was surrounded by the army. The problem was that our commander was useless and was going to get us all killed. If I thought we could have fought our way out, I would have stayed."

It is not just low-ranking guerrillas that have been deserting. Last month, a scarred guerrilla commander nicknamed Isaza – real name Wilson Bueno Largo – staggered out of the dense jungles of Choco province by the Pacific Coast. For three days he had carried on his back the former Colombian congressman Oscar Tulio Lizcano. Mr Lizcano had been held hostage for eight years by the rebels who wanted to exchange him and other prisoners for guerrillas held in jail.

Like Julie, Isaza had a decade of experience under his belt, as well as a reputation as a ferocious fighter. He had finally decided enough was enough and had heard of the government's payments for those who deserted with hostages. He will receive almost £300,000 as a reward and a new life in France, far from the reach of his vengeful former comrades: the guerrillas kill all deserters.

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Some of the former rebels are having trouble adjusting to civilian life in the city. They might be more at home in a prison camp which would remind them of where they came from. The handsome rewards do appear to be working and they are probably cheaper than some other options in destroying the FARC movement.

To some extent we did a similar thing in Iraq by giving jobs to former insurgents. It is more difficult in Afghanistan because the fighters there are less educated and find it harder to comprehend large sums of money. If they did they could be millionaires for turning over al Qaeda's leadership.