His return could cause a new inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that do not cooperate with Washington’s anti-terrorism efforts
14ymedio, Havana, 26 October 2024 — Cubans got used to the face of Iván Márquez – the nombre de guerra of the Colombian Luciano Marín Arango – for his presence in Havana as a negotiator for peace, on behalf of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Now, however, he will not be able to return to the Island, whose authorities – according to the newspaper Semana – claim that receiving a fugitive from justice could bring diplomatic complications with Washington.
Havana, explains the Colombian newspaper without identifying its source, “let it be known” that Márquez’s return, with arrest warrants from the US Department of State, may cause a new inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that do not cooperate with Washington in its anti-terrorism efforts. Cuba was taken off the list last May.
Márquez was supposed to participate in the second cycle of peace talks between the Colombian Government and the Second Marquetalia – one of the dissident movements of the FARC, which did not adhere to the peace agreements signed in 2016, in which Márquez was one of the most visible faces. His whereabouts are unknown, and there are rumors that he is dead or that he took refuge in Venezuela.
Márquez was supposed to participate in the second cycle of peace talks between the Colombian Government and the Second Marquetalia
Before the claims to clarify the situation, Otty Patiño, High Commissioner for Peace of the Colombian Government, assured Semana on Wednesday that it is “speculation” to state that Márquez is dead, but he did not dare offer a “a definitive confirmation” that he is alive. “No one has seen him nor has he talked to the leader of the Second Marquetalia,” he said, citing a source “close to Márquez’s circle.”
The Second Marquetalia and the Government of Colombia agreed to advance the dialogue in Havana this month due to the demonstrations that have been held in the country “to express the need for peace to be based on territorial considerations,” said Bishop Héctor Henao, who participates in the dialogues representing the Episcopal Conference. Henao said that the first cycle of dialogues had given positive results and achieved a de-escalation of the conflict, an objective that they now hope to deepen.
Márquez, who took up arms again in 2019 and assumed the leadership of the dissident guerrillas, was said to have fled to Venezuela during Iván Duque’s mandate. Gustavo Petro’s Administration has denied having information about him, a fugitive from justice since he declared himself an insurgent.
During the negotiations, the official Cuban press presented Márquez as the main spokesman and the leader of the FARC abroad. Communist since his youth, he studied in the Soviet Union and joined the guerrillas in 1977, where he held several positions. He participated in the peace agreements discussed first in Oslo and then in Havana, and refused – after signing in 2016 – to occupy a position as a congressman. The FARC were guaranteed, to become a political movement, five seats in the Senate and as many others in the House, for two sessions.
In 2018, Márquez settled in southern Colombia, without the escorts that the Government had assigned to him for his protection. The following year, he regrouped with several dissident leaders and declared the beginning of the Second Marquetalia, “a new stage of struggle” against the “crooked State” that took away their weapons.
Duque, during his mandate, said that Márquez was counting on the protection of Nicolás Maduro
Duque, during his mandate, said that Márquez was counting on the protection of Nicolás Maduro. Caracas has never confirmed the presence of the guerrilla in Venezuela, but in 2019 it confirmed that its doors were open. In 2022, Márquez suffered an attempted assassination. Since then, rumors about his death have not stopped circulating.
Márquez is wanted by Interpol and Washington, which is offering ten million dollars for information leading to his capture. He is also accused by the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office after having committed violent acts in recent decades, and the Supreme Court of Justice sentenced him last March to 41 years in prison for homicide and terrorism.
Last May, Márquez surprisingly reappeared in a video supporting the Constituent Assembly proposed by Petro. According to several sources, Petro wanted Márquez to participate in the Havana peace talks this year. No high-ranking official of the regime has confirmed, for the moment, if he will be able to return to Cuba.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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