A FARC Rebel Commander Runs For President. Many Colombians Aren't Ready To Forgive
After more than 50 years of insurgency, Colombia's most notorious leftist militant group has handed over its guns and formed a political party that's now fielding its first election candidates.
Rodrigo Londoño has been sentenced for taking people hostage, raiding an army base and recruiting children into his guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Now, the former rebel commander is running for Colombia's top office.
On Saturday, the 59-year-old former guerrilla leader waved at supporters from a stage set up outside a community center in Ciudad Bolívar, one of Bogotá's poorest neighborhoods. Amid tight security, a catchy campaign song and confetti blasts, he joined the race for the May 27 presidential election.
"Colombia needs a new type of politics, that focuses on working people, on their human dignity, on their
