One of the former members of the Farc guerrilla leadership, Rodrigo Granda, in Bogota on November 19, 2020. -

Mauricio Duenas Castaneda / SIPA

The objective of the FARC is henceforth to no longer embody “war” and “pain”, but “peace”.

For this, the ex-guerrilla, transformed into a legal political organization, buried its initials of war and changed its name, becoming the "Partido Comunes" (Party of Commons) Sunday at the end of its second assembly since the signing of peace in Colombia in 2016.

The former rebels abandoned the name of Common Revolutionary Alternative Force, initially chosen after the peace agreement, due to the bad image carried by the dissidents who kept or took up arms under the name of Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ).

Con la energía del amor, desde #Comunesemprendemos este nuevo camino en la lucha civilista por profundizar la democracia y la justicia social.

pic.twitter.com/IOhTrK1en0

- Pastor Alape Lascarro (@AlapePastorFARC) January 24, 2021

“We are the Commons.

This is our new image.

From today we are the Party of Commons and the party of peace, reconciliation and love for life, ”said spokesman and ex-guerrilla commander Pastor Alape, on Twitter .

The name change was announced at the end of the assembly held in Medellin and attended by only a few delegates, due to travel restrictions imposed due to Covid-19, as well as divisions within organization.

The 2022 elections in the sights

Above all, the Farc intend to change their image before the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for 2022. During their first electoral participation in 2019, the Farc suffered a stinging failure and internal divisions have since worsened, while dozens of ex- guerrillas were murdered.

According to the party, at least 250 former rebels have died in the wave of violence that has escalated since the peace agreement.

Authorities blame dissidents and other armed groups funded by drug trafficking and illegal mining.

The new name was chosen against two other proposals, the Popular Unity of the Common and the Force of the Common, said Senator Sandra Ramirez, who occupies one of the 10 parliamentary seats granted to the ex-Farc as part of the agreement which allowed the disarmament of some 13,000 ex-combatants and militiamen.

According to the armed forces, dissident groups number around 2,500 rebels without a unified command and have strengthened in recent years in isolated areas of Colombia.

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