OneWorld.net (U.S.)

OneWorld.net note: Colombians around the world celebrated their country's independence this Sunday by marching for peace and calling on Colombia's left-wing rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, to release hundreds of hostages still held captive.Posters of Ingrid Betancourt and other FARC hostages: Displayed during a March 2008 demonstration in Paris, calling for the captives' release. © h de c (flickr)

• Hundreds of thousands of Colombians marched in cities around the world to demand that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) enter into peace talks to end the 44-year-long conflict between the rebels and the government. President Uribe of Colombia and the presidents of Brazil and Peru signed a pact Sunday "to increase patrols of the river areas along the borders shared by the countries in the Amazon region, a bid to further tighten the noose around Las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia (FARC) and its main source of income, cocaine," reported the International Herald Tribune.
• Political leader Ingrid Betancourt, along with 14 other hostages, was freed earlier this month from the FARC in a "bloodless operation" orchestrated by the Colombian military. Betancourt addressed a rally in Paris Sunday, calling on the FARC to release all of their hostages and put an end to rebel kidnappings. However, "The FARC, knowing full well that these anti-kidnap protests were planned, snatched 10 people last week travelling on a boat …along the Pacific coast," reported the BBC.
• Recent events, including the widespread protests, Betancourt's rescue, and the loss of two high-profile FARC leaders, may mark the beginning of the end for Colombia's FARC guerrilla movement, said the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA), a Latin American research group. Several defeats at the hands of the Colombian military and Uribe's harsh stance on rebel activity have weakened the guerilla group, leaving them "in a very precarious position for negotiation and [they] may have to bow to the demands of the Colombian government," continued COHA.
  

Colombia: Freedom March Around the World

From: Global Voices

After the rescue of 15 high profile hostages held in the FARC's power on July 2nd 2008, the same group that organized the last global march on February 4th against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) decided that there should be a another one on July 20th, the day when Colombia's Independence from Spain is celebrated. The following videos and photographs show the way this Independence celebration and liberation march was celebrated around the world,

In the capital city of Colombia, Bogota, journalist Víctor Solano uploads a video of the crowd walking by, with a surprise appearance of a TV character beloved by toddlers throughout the world. On his blog, other videos and images.

From Panama, uploaded by daydreamer191, a video of the excitement lived on the march, which took on the air of a parade.

In Australia, China and Holland, Colombians also celebrated, in groups and sometimes, all on their own.

Colombian bloggers wrote about their reasons for marching or deciding not to join the festivities.

Mauricio Duque Arrubla succinctly explained his reasons:

Caminando, se cura la herida…

Walking, the wound can heal…

Also, his wife took the picture which illustrates this post, titled “Flags”.

Dianacats who lives in another main city in Colombia, Medellin, views the march from the commercial perspective and is a bit befuddled by the campaign a pizza parlor sent to her email, thinking that marketing a pizza on independence and freedom marches is going a bit too far.

From the coastal city of Barranquilla in Colombia, El Gerente posts pictures of his day at the march.

Blogger Arlovich Correa Manchola writes about the ideal of Nation, and how hope for the march has overshadowed the murders of syndicalists on the hands of the state.

La patria olvidará mañana al sindicalista del Polo que se entierra hoy, detenido y desaparecido por fuerzas oficiales, según éste comunicado. Guillermo Rivera llevó a su hija a la ruta del colegio y luego desapareció, después de ser abordado en plena vía pública de Bogotá, por sujetos que a la postre lo torturaron y asesinaron.

La patria ha asesinado a 29 sindicalistas como Rivera, en lo que va corrido del año.

La patria mata 5 sindicalistas al mes.

La patria mata un sindicalista a la semana.

La PATRIA está ensangrentada, tiene las manos y la boca y el alma sedienta de sangre.

Al final del día la patria reza el rosario. Y se lava las manos.

The nation will forget tomorrow the Polo [Opposition Political Party] who was buried today, detained and disappeared by official forces, according to this release. Guillermo Rivera took his daughter on her way to school and then disappeared after being intercepted in the middle of the public road in Bogota, by individuals who later tortured and murdered him.
The nation has murdered 29 syndicalists like Rivera just this year.
The nation kills 5 syndicalists a month.
The nation kills a syndicalist a week.
The NATION is bloodied, has their hands and mouth and soul thirsty for blood.
At the end of the day the nation prays with a rosary. And washes its hands.

To read more about Colombia from bloggers around the world, visit Global Voices.