Marco Rubio Calls Out FARC as 'Terrorist Group'

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, took aim at the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after news emerged on Monday that it had kidnapped a Colombian general. Rubio said he supported the Colombian government ending peaces talks with FARC.

Earlier this month, I made an official visit to Bogotwhere I met with several Colombian government officials to discuss the future of the U.S.-Colombia alliance, Rubio said on Monday. While the U.S.-Colombia relationship has many important dimensions to it, particularly on trade, the main issue on everyones minds there was the future of peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC.

Todays news that the FARC has kidnapped a Colombian general is a chilling reminder of why a lasting peace with this terrorist group will be extremely difficult to accomplish, Rubio added. Ultimately, whether the talks are renewed or not, the Colombian people will decide what the terms of any peace negotiation look like. The U.S. should support the Colombian governments suspension of talks and recommit ourselves to ensuring that the FARC, which has terrorized the Colombian people for so long and led millions to flee to Florida and elsewhere, is defeated.