Rubio, Salazar blast Biden Administration for removing FARC from terror list

Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar blasted the Biden Administration after the State Department announcedit would remove FARC, a former Colombian guerilla group, from the list of foreign terrorist organizations.

Noting FARC’s 60-year history of violence, kidnapping and narcotrafficking activities, Rep. Salazar posted a video on Twitter asking, “How is it possible that the Administration and the State Department have decided to remove FARC from the list of foreign terrorist organizations?”

#COLOMBIA | Congresista María Elvira Salazar reacciona a reportes de que Administración Biden retiraría a las FARC de la lista de terroristas. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3XJidBWWSB

— ADN America (@AmericaAdn) November 24, 2021

"We know that five years ago they signed a peace treaty, of course, but we also know that in those five years there have been hundreds of attacks by these terrorists against the Colombian people,” she continued.

According to Salazar, the Biden Administration’s move will complicate the political situation in Colombia and hand the presidency to Gustavo Petro, who is a “Marxist, a socialist, a thief, and a terrorist.”

Similarly, Sen. Marco Rubio said in a press release on Wednesday that removing FARC from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) would threaten Colombians and U.S. security.

“The Biden Administration’s decision to remove the FARC from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list risks emboldening narcoterrorists and the regimes that sponsor them throughout our region,” Rubio said. “Congress must hold hearings on this decision to examine what it means for stability in the hemisphere, as well as U.S. and Colombian security interests."

“Colombia has endured decades of pain and suffering because of the vicious terrorist attacks spearheaded by the FARC,” he added.

On Tuesday, US Ambassador to Colombia, Philip S. Goldberg, posted a message on Twitter saying that his office was not prepared to address the Administration’s decision to remove FARC from the FTO.

Mensaje del Embajador Philip S. Goldberg. pic.twitter.com/XixbBC2rEz

— US Embassy Bogota (@USEmbassyBogota) November 23, 2021

 According to Salazar, however, FARC’s removal from the infamous list sends a message to the world saying that the U.S. is willing to negotiate with organizations, whether they are good or bad.

“This is not how terrorists or Marxists should be treated,” she said.