You Say You Want A Revolution

In many rural places in Colombia, very poor families sometimes leave one of their children in rich households so they will be taken care of, learn a trade, and have a better future. Paternostro’s grandmother had one such girl. Her name was Imelda, the daughter of a day laborer in the family estate. Imelda had spent ten years with Paternostro in Barranquilla, after which she got into trouble and was returned to her family in the provinces. Thinking about Imelda, Paternostro remembers: “I always thought Imelda would be the perfect candidate to have joined a revolutionary movement. I would have if I were her I always said” (p.99).

So why didn’t Imelda become a guerrilla? Why don’t most
Imelda’s do?

Although not explicitly, Paternostro has often blamed the inactivity of Colombians for many of the country’s troubles. She thinks that very few average people want to change the situation we live in and simply carry on believing they are happy and turning a blind eye to problems.

I find this unconvincing.

In my opinion, the reason why Imelda did not join the FARC is that practically no ordinary people do anymore. The FARC mainly recruits fighters at rallies filled with communist propaganda and promises of a better life. Also, recruits freely join the Marxists when they have a family member already inside. Not many people actually seek the movement. It is not common for someone like Imelda to realize that she is a “have-not” and become a revolutionary fighter. Fidel Castro has criticized this about the Colombian revolution, in his opinion: there is not enough involvement of the masses.

Colombia is ultra-right, something very strange for a country in 21st century South America. Usually poor countries with high inequality rates tend to be leftist. The reason we are not so is because everyone hates the FARC, and they represent the other extreme of the political spectrum. The FARC have popularity ratings of under one percent, and it’s not too difficult to imagine why. Nearly every Colombian, rich and poor, has a story about the FARC. One hears constantly about Burned cars, kidnappings, pillage, rape, etc.

The reason why the FARC will never succeed in making a revolution in Colombia is that they got the approach all wrong, associating themselves with criminal activities they have irreversibly damaged their public image. The FARC cannot expect to terrorize the people and then earn their support. What masses are they going to rally in a country where 99% of the population disapproves of them?