Communists protest arrest of FARC chancellor Rodrigo Granda

March 20, 2005 Rodrigo Granda, also known as Ricardo Gonzalez, was arrested by Colombian forces on December 13, 2004. The communist group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) claims the arrest is illegal, since Granda was in Venezuela for purposes related to his work as a international FARC delegate. However, the Colombia government does not recognize the FARC as a legitimate political group and accuses the FARC of terrorism and drug trafficking.

According to a note released by the FARC, several communist parties are showing solidarity with the FARC by protesting the arrest of Rodrigo Granda. In addition, they criticize the extradition of the FARC commander Simón Trinidad to the United States of America.

The political parties are:Communist Party of Greece, Portuguese Communist Party, Communist Party of the People of Spain, Communist Party of Spain, New Communist Party Netherlands, Communist Party of Ireland, Workers Party of Ireland, Party of Italian Communists, Socialist Alliance Party- Romania, Party of Communists of Cataluña, Communist Party of Argentina, Union of Communists of Ukraine, French Communist Party, Tudeh Party of Iran, Communist Party of Malta, New Communist Party of Britain, Communist Party in Denmark, Communist Party of Norway, Communist Party of Luxembourg, Communist Party of USA, Communist Party of Britain, Communist Party of Tadjikistan, Communist Party of Israel, Communist Party of Denmark, Bulgarian Communist Party “Georgy Dimitrov”, Communist Party of Poland, Colombian Communist Party, Communist Party of Chile, Party of Communists (Mexico), Party of the Communist Refoundation, Communist Party of Turkey, Communist Party of Canada, Communist Party of Finland, Romanian Communist Party, Workers Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Party of Latvia, Democratic Progressive Tribune- Bahrain, Sudanese Communist Party, Japanese Communist Party, Communist Party of Estonia, Communist Workers Party of Russia, Communist Party of Brazil, Communist Party of Jordan, Party of Democratic Socialism, Germany, Communist Party of Albania, The Party of Labor (EMEP) Turkey, Communist Party of Venezuela, Communist Party of Slovakia and the Communist Party of Egypt.

On January 2005, several intellectuals had already protested the arrest of Rodrigo Granda.