Early on Thursday September 23, Colombians woke up with the news: the day before, 30 airplanes and 27 helicopters of the Colombian Air Force raided a camp where Víctor Julio Suárez, better known as Jorge Briceño or Mono Jojoy, one of the top leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was hiding with dozens of guerrillas near La Macarena, Meta. Suárez, 57, was killed in the so-called “Operation Sodom”, as president Juan Manuel Santos confirmed [es] from New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly. Five members of the State security forces were injured and a female police dog was killed [es].
Other top guerrilla members might have been caught in the 300 square-meter camp —which reportedly [es] included [es] an underground bunker— and the Colombian Armed Forces (mostly members of the Colombian Army and the Colombian National Police which landed after the combats ended) are identifying them as this post is being written. On Thursday afternoon unofficial sources claimed that FARC leader Henry Castellanos, Romaña, had also been killed [es] in the operation
Mono Jojoy, who was tipped off by an informant, was considered the leader of the hard-line military wing of the FARC and was the commander of its Eastern Bloc. Regarded as “one of the most blood-thirsty” guerrillas [es], he had 62 arrest warrants against him, had been sentenced 5 times, and the United States had asked for his extradition for drug-trafficking related charges, offering a reward for his capture.
A controversy arose when El Tiempo, the daily newspaper with the highest circulation in the country (and partially owned by President Juan Manuel Santos’ family), posted a series of tweets regarding the news:
Vigilantes de parqueadero en Corferias: ‘Hay que pedir la tarde libre para celebrar la muerte de Jojoy’
¿Cómo están celebrando en sus oficinas o donde se encuentren la muerte de Jojoy?
Para los ofendidos por la pregunta de celebración, disculpas. Mejor pregunta es: ¿Cómo reaccionan por la muerte de Jojoy?
Twitter users immediately reacted to these tweets. Miguel Olaya (@juglardelzipa) said:
por ahora no nos han dado el día libre en la universidad de los andes. @eltiempocom debería denunciarlos por no ser patriotas.
User @PAPerezA criticized the newspaper:
Que ignorancia y amarillismo!! Salvajes!! […]
Agnes Dantés (@Agnes_Dantes) joked:
Ayy esos de @eltiempocom son muy jocosos. Pero bueh… bien por ellos que no nos engañan con falsa imparcialidad y profesionalismo
With irony, Clo Calao (@cloquis) wrote:
Hay unos desplazados al frente de mi casa pidiendo limosna, les voy a preguntar a ellos como celebran la muerte de #jojoy #eltiempostyle
Adriana (@Adridice) commented on the apology tweeted by El Tiempo:
las disculpas del @eltiempocom dejan mucho que desear “a los que se sientan ofendidos” que amarillismo, están peor que el espacio
Others joked about the name of the operation, which according to Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera was chosen [es] because “the core of the evil was there. And we needed help from heaven.” Orlando (@DanielitoBang) said:
Alejandro Ordóñez abrirá investigación contra Rodrigo Rivera y la cúpula militar por usar el aberrante nombre de Sodoma en esta operación.
Ramírez Jaramillo (@egolaxista):
La película de la Operación Sodoma será clasificada R, porque su nombre es sugestivo
Jokingly, Miguel Olaya (@juglardelzipa) wrote:
en el ministerio de defensa organizan focus groups para decidir el nombre de las operaciones.
Alvaro Sáenz (@AlvarettoS):
:o que el mono jojoy murió de sodomía? #toomuchinformation
Other Twitter reactions reflect current issues in Colombian politics. Manuel Carreño (@Popcultura) directed his message to those who oppose the current and former government:
Amigo antiuribista: alegrarte por esta noticia no te vuelve de derecha: solo demuestra que te alegras por la muerte de cafres como ese.
But Juan C. Rodríguez (@JCRodriguezMD) does not see the outcome of this operation as a sign that the government is successful:
El éxito de un gobierno no se mide por número de bajas, sino por el bienestar de su población. En eso si seguiremos muy mal.
User @Vulturno said:
Sin duda es el logro más grande de las FFMM, con todo y que les tocó matarlo de lejos y con sevicia
Daniel Arango (@stultaviro) described what the success of this operation means to some Colombians:
Qué buena bofetada a los que andaban anunciando y celebrando el fracaso de la Seguridad Democrática.
In his tweet, Alejandro Gaviria (@agaviriau) refers to the idea of justice:
No es la muerte lo que alegra a la mayoría de la gente: es la idea o la sensación de justicia.
But Orlando (@DanielitoBang) thinks that justice was not completely served:
Qué rabia que mueran tipejos como ese. Se siente cierta sensación de justicia, pero el miserable en realidad murió impune.
“El Chiflamicas” (@elchiflamicas) wrote:
Si no mataban al Mono Jojoy se les hubiera escapado por algún aeropuerto.
Alieth Acosta (@_InTheMood) criticized the pressure to show patriotism:
Si no pongo una bandera de Colombia en mi nick de bb soy terrorista entonces? Esas bobadas.
“La Morenita” (@lapetitebrune) said:
El día en que celebremos la vida, en vez de la muerte, ese día sí habrá esperanza para nosotros.
Some related posts:
- Colombia: FARC Leader “Sureshot” is Confirmed Dead (30 May 2008)
- Colombia: Reward for FARC Guerrilla for Killing His Commander (21 March 2008)
- Colombia: The Unsettling Conflict with Ecuador and Venezuela (5 March 2008) [related special coverage]
2 comments
To Julián Ortega Martínez, Silvia Viñas, Andrea Arzaba, Lully Posada and others: GREAT JOB! I start my day with your dispatches to get some news about South/Central America (and I also learn Spanish through bi-lingual parts of your relations). Hope you’ll continue. Thanks!
Thank you for your support and your encouraging message!