Colombian peace talks delegation in Cuba pays tribute to H-Blocks heroes

LEFT-WING GUERRILLA LEADERS holding peace talks with the Colombian Government in Cuba took time during the negotiations to hold a commemoration at the H-Blocks memorial in Havana on 5 May, the 35th anniversary of the death in Long Kesh of Bobby Sands MP.

Two days previously, fighters from the FARC-EP, peace activists and local people in Cuba made a special trip to clean up the monument and prepare the area for the ceremony.

On the actual anniversary of Bobby’s death, what the FARC-EP described as a “delegation of guerrilla combatants” engaged in talks with the Colombian Government placed flowers on the monument in tribute to the “Irish patriots Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Thomas McElwee and Mickey Devine.

The ten had died, the FARC-EP said, “as the result of a hunger strike against the inhumane conditions they were living in and the criminalisation of their political struggle”.

Amongst those there were FARC-EP Commander in Chief Timoleón Jiménez, and several members of FARC-EP’s National Secretariat.

One of those present told An Phoblacht:

“The delegation stood some minutes in silence before the monument, reflecting about these Irish patriots, the sacrifice they made and the example they represent to many people over the world.”

Julián Caballero, described as “one of the insurgents”, commented:

“It makes us think of our own country, Colombia, where thousands of political prisoners are also living in inhumane conditions. In Colombia, torture exists, as well as overcrowding, lack of medical care and there have also been hunger strikes.”

In their publicity for the event, the delegation published details of Bobby’s life to remind or educate people about the political struggle waged by Bobby and his comrades against the callous regime of right-wing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who gloried in the title of “The Iron Lady”.