Colombia leader praises army over Alfonso Cano killing

BBC News, 5 November 2011

President Santos said the security forces had changed Colombia's
history by killing Alfonso Cano

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Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has travelled to the camp where Farc rebel leader Alfonso Cano was killed.

Cano was shot dead on Friday during a battle with security forces in the western province of Cauca.

Military officials say operations against the guerrillas are continuing, with 17 helicopters patrolling the area around the camp.

President Santos said the death of Cano was the greatest blow against the Farc in its 47-year history.

Intelligence-led operation

Speaking at army headquarters in Popayan, the capital of Cauca province, President Santos said the operation to kill Alfonso Cano had been long in the planning.

"We gathered intelligence from a number of sources," he said on Saturday. "And with the collaboration of people within the Farc, our armed forces slowly planned the operation they carried out yesterday."

Alfonso Cano 

• Born 1948
• Real name Guillermo Leon Saenz
• Former academic from Bogota
• Became Farc leader in 2008
• Had been Colombian army's main target in recent months
• Profile: Alfonso Cano

He said news of the death of Alfonso Cano, whose real name was Guillermo Leon Saenz, would change Colombia's history for the better.

But he warned the armed forces not to feel triumphalist, but to persevere in their battle against the rebel group.

President Santos also said the choices faced by rebels was to demobilise, go to jail, or face an early grave.

Mr Santos ruled out negotiations unless the Farc sent a clear signal it was willing to give up terrorism for good.

Beard shaved off

On Friday morning, the Colombian Air Force started bombing the camp where Alfonso Cano was believed to be hiding. Later that day, special operations forces moved in.

They found items belonging to Cano, as well as computers, memory sticks, hard discs and $100,000 in cash. 

Alfonso Cano had a $4m prize tag on his head

They surrounded Cano and his men and, according to Defence Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon, killed him in the firefight which ensued.

The defence ministry released pictures of the dead leader, with his trademark bushy beard shaved off.

President Santos said operations to catch Cano's supporters in the region were continuing.

He said the army had also delivered a severe blow to Farc rebels in eastern Meta province, where they had killed eight guerrillas and seized two tonnes of explosives.

Security forces have killed a number of Farc commanders and arrested many others in recent years. In September 2010, Mono Jojoy, another top Farc commander, was killed in a bombing raid.

The military has been able to expand its operations against the rebels with the help of the US, which has provided billions of dollars in funding, training and intelligence-sharing.

The Farc is on US and European lists of terrorist organisations.

Colombia's civil conflict has lasted more than four decades, drawing in left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries.