Venezuela asks US and EU to remove FARC and ELN from terrorist blacklists
In his annual State of the Nation address to the congress, the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias asked that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) be removed from United States and European Union terrorist blacklists.
According to Chavez, these designated terrorist organisations are true armies, not terrorists. Both FARC and ELN are respected in Venezuela, and the global community should recognise them.
The response of the United States and the European Union has not followed yet. It is not known whether it is to follow at all. Some consider that the request reveals state-sponsored terrorism. However, this is an arguable issue. Another question is the following – if de facto recognition of both organisations occurs, will that place Venezuela’s banks and non-bank financial institutions at risk when they conduct business for them?