COMMUNIQUE OF THE FARC-EP
REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA PEOPLE'S ARMY, FARC-EP
A Government of False Rumors and Lies

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, People's Army
(FARC-EP)communicate that:

1. We publicly denounce Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez for
deceiving Colombians and the international community by stating in
interviews with heads of states, and to representatives of other
governments, the UNO, relatives of the prisoners of war, personalities and
NGO's, and in the press, that his government is discretely workingout with
the FARC eventual accords for the liberation of the persons deprived of
their freedom and held by the two sides, and in the pursuit of dialogues
conducent to the peace longed for by Colombians. Serious governments never
make their policy on the basis of lies, false rumors, nor slanderous
affirmations having the purpose of deceiving their visitors and those they
rule.

2. Mr. Uribe Velez has gone ahead and taken in his hands the diabolical
banner of total war without dialogues. Thus, it is essential that he
frankly tell Colombia and the world that that is his policy, so the refusal
of his government to respond to the public proposals of the FARC concerning
a prisoner exchange in order to free those retained, and peace via talks
toward overcoming the social and armed conflict affecting the national
majorities, can be understood.

3. The political will of the FARC-EP is sincere and is backed up by the
public communiquÈs and documents signed by the Central General Staff,
containing the proposals known to the national and international public on
the themes of prisoner exchange and the building of paths toward a solution
via dialogues of the Colombian social, political and armed conflict. Once
again we clarify that on principle the FARC-EP refuse to accept dialogues
behind the backs of the people and its social and popular organizations,
and without guarantees on the part of the state.

Central General Staff of the FARC-EP
Mountains of Colombia, December 10, 2002