BOGOTA, October 6 (Process) .- The second week of September 2007 Victor Julio Suarez, El Mono Jojoy, military leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), wrote an email that was prescient.
In the message sent to the seven-member secretariat of the guerrilla, El Mono Jojoy concerned the death of Tomas Medina Caracas, Black Acacio, commander of the Front 16 in a bombing of the Colombian Air Force.
After lamenting the demise of Black Acacio, El Mono Jojoy declared: "I will use the radio only to receive and transmit short messages from now on, to avoid killed."
was referring to his fear of attacks Super Tucano aircraft manufactured in Brazil, acquired by Colombia from the air to locate guerrilla camps in the jungle. Mono Jojoy
no mistake: the death of Black Acacio marked the beginning of a string of strikes against several FARC leaders as Edgar Devia, alias Raúl Reyes, Sixto Shack, alias Sunday Biojó, who died March 1 2008 and September 19 in air strikes. In those days also killed in fighting in the jungle Milton Sierra, alias JJ and Gustavo Rueda, alias Martin Sombra, guerrilla chiefs in the north. At Mono Jojoy
not had reason to be worried and expected attacks by Colombian armed forces would target him because of his extensive criminal record and the coolness with which he ordered attacks against police and soldiers. The rebel leader was credited with the invention of the "miraculous catches," ie, the hijacking as a means of financing.
The FARC's military chief was one of Colombians with more lawsuits against him (105) and three requests for extradition to the U.S., where he is accused of drug trafficking.
also between August 7, when Juan Manuel Santos assumed the presidency of Colombia, and 13 September this year, men under his command killed in ambushes to 30 uniformed and compromised the security policy of the new government.
Santos seemed to be in check by the blows and the wave of criticism from columnists and pundits, who accused him of lowering the guard against the guerrillas.
However, to many it seemed inappropriate Santos sent the message to the FARC on September 10 after a guerrilla attack on a police station in San Miguel, Putumayo, killing eight soldiers. Before the coffins the head of state said: "If this is welcome, will see what is the answer."
September 23, Colombia announced the death of El Mono Jojoy in a bombing the previous day. From New York, where attending the United Nations Assembly-Santos said: "This is the operation of welcome to the FARC."
Hunting
Based on testimony from people who requested anonymity and who participated in the mission to locate the Mono Jojoy, rebuilt the search process of a man who at age 14 enlisted in the FARC and led a war machine that for decades attempted to seize power. Although
armed forces raged search Jojoy since February 2002, when President Andres Pastrana broke off the peace process launched in November 1999 - location made difficult by the sagacity with which the guerrilla leader moved and hidden.
Since then the military carried out dozens of operations in which only managed to hit the last of the four rings of security of Mono Jojoy. This was last May when soldiers shot dead 16 members of the front 43 of the FARC, responsible for ensuring the movement of Jojoy.
After publicizing the results of the operation, the commander of military forces, Freddy Padilla de León, sent a message to the military leader of the FARC: "I want to make an invitation to Mono Jojoy and all his men to seize the opportunity provided by the government of Colombia, Plan Demobilization, to save his life and even save the lives of men who have made these criminal activities. "
On July 16 another 13 farquistas responsible for the protection of Jojoy fell in combat in a rural area of \u200b\u200bPlateau.
What Jojoy never knew is that while he was hiding in the jungle and around 600 men protecting him, the police had infiltrated to six non-commissioned officers in the close circle around him, researchers estimated 150 armed troops.
intelligence and infiltration
This attempt by the authorities to approach Jojoy started to bear fruit in March this year, when the intelligence service confirmed that their undercover police had already earned the trust of the guerrillas and found a way to send information on the movements and routines of the rebel chief.
"The strategy was the same as that used in the operation against Raul Reyes, said processing a police colonel. "We set facades, new identities and all had a lot of patience to wait for the data they sent us."
Over the weeks the police began to compare the information with the testimony of at least 10 guerrillas who dropped this year from the ranks of Jojoy. This summer researchers knew that the guerrilla spent several weeks in the same camp, the number of men around him and their daily routines, for example, getting up every day at one o'clock to get to other commanders or visitors from abroad, and lie at four to sleep another three hours.
infiltrates information included data on the camp, 300 meters long, which had been built deep shafts and tunnels to avoid air strikes. They knew
Jojoy also had a house of 80 square meters and his partner, consisted of two rooms and a large space that served as dining room. The roof was made of straw and the walls, very thick and durable wood.
The first ring Jojoy-up consisting of 15 men stayed in two cottages outside the home of military leader. Other groups of reaction were posted at 150 and 200 meters from the main building.
After making a map based on information from the infiltrators, police officials concluded that Jojoy should be attacked at dawn, when he was sure he was taking hits.
The beatings after his rise to power forced the Saints to ask senior officers to expedite the final operation against Jojoy. The Departed received the message and clarified the most important fact: to be in that camp when the guerrilla.
The answer was that the military leader of the FARC was comfortable in that place surrounded by trees over 30 meters high, on the side of a mountain that the guerrillas knew perfectly. Also knew that the armed forces would not attempt a ground assault because it would be detected early and rule out a bombing because communications were restricted. What they did not anticipate Jojoy and his men went to the infiltrators.
The certainty that he was in an impregnable was the bane of the military leader of the FARC. In mid-September, the high command of the armed forces and was sure that their goal was attainable.
September 17, during a security meeting at the Larandia military base in Caqueta, to review recent rebel attacks, Santos received the news that Jojoy was in the camp, he showed a map where only I saw a thick green carpet. "When the police chief showed the map did not see anything," says a process one of the commanders who attended the summit in Larandia. "It was all jungle and more jungle. I thought it would be another operation again, but the officers who prepared the map assured us that the coordinates were those that safely Jojoy was there. " Having
all the details of the location of Jojoy Santos gave free rein to the operation, but stressed that the guerrilla infiltration was confirmed there.
Attack
the evening of September 20 before leaving for the U.S. Santos, met at the presidential residence with the military brass led by Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera, after assessing the latest data okayed the operation, called at that moment as Sodom.
Once the head of state to New York left the commanders of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Police Command focused on Special Operations in the Ministry of Defence and planned the movement of aircraft and the men who were aware of the development of an operation "somewhere in the southeast of the country." The ultimate goal would be known only by a handful of senior officers, Defense Minister and the President. Secrecy was key to the operation.
At 1:45 am on September 22, 1930 Super Tucano aircraft took off from different tracks heading to the meeting site: Tinigua Natural Park. At 2:04 am the aircraft began launching 40 bombs of 150 to 250 pounds that fell precisely on Jojoy camp, who at that time conversing with some subordinates.
A video recorded from one of the aircraft shows the size of the air strike, which lasted two hours. The target was destroyed.
At five o'clock, once the bombing came the landing of troops near the camp to verify the results of the attack. Of 27 Army helicopters, Air Force and Police rappel down to 100 troops of the Army Special Forces, 40 Marines and 80 of the Jungle Commandos, the Special Operations Command and the Tactical Group Police Anti-Terrorist , which immediately became embroiled in battles with Jojoy men who were not reached by the air strike. The
Fighting lasted all day Wednesday 22 until troops secured the area and made to flee to the guerrillas, who tried unsuccessfully to recover the body of Jojoy, trapped under a small landslide caused by the explosions and led to his death by suffocation.
At 7:35 am on September 23 the commander of military forces, Edgar Cely, received the call from General Javier Flórez, commander of Task Force Omega-elite body created to prosecute the heads of FARC, who said from the camp they had just Jojoy confirm that one of the bodies found was the man who had sought so long. The FARC received a
of the hardest blows of his existence. Now the armed forces are turning back to Alfonso Cano, commander of the rebel group since March 2008.
This, as Jojoy, wrote an email in which he feared for the pumps. At least it suggests a statement he read on 30 July and a week before the presidential succession, and which invited the government to open spaces for dialogue with the insurgency.
At the end of his speech: "Today we are tomorrow we are not, but other kids, other generations, other members of the army of the people take our positions (...)"
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