FARC and Brazilian Workers' Party:the general didn't tell the truth, says former Abin superior to Veja
<!--[[Image:Brazil flag large.png|180px|right|Investigation in Brazil]]-->
{{dateline|date=March 25, 2005|location=Brazil}}
The Head Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet of [[w:Brazil|Brazil]], General Jorge Felix, and the director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva, testifying before a commission of deputies and senators, said documents may be incorrect. They maintain the Brazilian magazine ''Veja'', in its article "FARC's tentacles in Brazil", should not be used.  

This weekend, ''Veja'' presented testimonies by people who allegedly worked on Abin's FARC-PT investigation. These contradict the explanations that General Felix gave to the commission.

==The ''Veja's'' story==
Last week, the magazine ''Veja'' reported that the  Workers' Party (PT)  received 5 million dollars to be used for the political campaign of candidates in 2002 from the [[w:Columbia|Colombian]] [[w:Communism|Communist]] armed group [[w:FARC|Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC-EP). The news appeared on  by Brazilian television chanells Globo and Record.

[[Image:LocationBrazil.png|left|thumb]]
''Veja'' said that it used as its sources the documents from Abin and the allegations of Abin's  employees. The Head Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet of Brazil's General Jorge Felix, and the director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva,  said that the  documents were not reliable.

The official Abin version can be seen on [http://www.abin.gov.br/abin/nota_internet_170305.htm its website.] The agency stores and archives all data collected by the intelligence service, including  data that do not fulfill all Abin's criteria for consistency and accuracy. Every kind of document remains in Abin archive so it can be re-evaluated in the future. According to General Felix, Abin archives may contain data that are not relevant, tendentious or  completely untrue. The documents mentioned by ''Veja'' are this sort of data.

According to [http://www.senado.gov.br/agencia/verNoticia.aspx?codNoticia=44271  Brazilian  Federal Senate's] website, General Félix told "the documents  were archived because they don't deserve credit, and they don't present any proof related to the allegations contained therein".

The general said: "Of course Abin  monitores all FARC activities, it is part of its job; however, in this specific case, there is no sustainable argument, and there is any credibility. Therefore, the papers are archived."

On 21 March ''Veja'' published another article named: "They know  everything about it", contradicting Abin. The article stated that two people -- a alleged spy who was in a meeting where a supposed donation by the FARC member father Medina took place, and his former Abin superior, Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira -- had said that the documents were not merely information ignored by the agency, due to a lack of evidence, as the  General Félix argued.

''Veja's'' wrote that the documents that mentioned the alleged FARC-PT relationship were considered very important  by  Abin. ''Veja's'' story told the documents were archived and the investigations into their contents ceased after the victory of the Brazilian President [[w:Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva|Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] (PT). 

''Veja'' has since claimed to have interviewed the Albin spy again, whose identity the magazine chooses not to reveal, since he is allegedly still active.

According to the spy, he infiltrated the labour union movement twenty years ago. His colleagues were PT members and Communists and his task was informing the intelligence agency about the Brazilian labor movement.

According to ''Veja'', the spy says that he came upon the FARC case accidentally. It happened when leftists invited him to be part of a pro-FARC committee, in defense of the Colombian guerrillas. The spy claims to have agreed and he began to frequent the meetings, which were almost always secret.

''Veja'' says that, on April 13, 2002, the spy took part of a meeting together with other   leftists, in Coração Vermelho (Red Heart) hacienda, near  [[w:Brasilia|Brasilia]]. ''Veja'' reports that the spy heard father Olivério Medina, representative of the FARC, announcing that he would donate 5 million dollars for the campaign of the Brazilian president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in 2002.

Furthermore, according to ''Veja'', the Abin's spy said: " Immediately I left the meeting, on April 13 and met my Abin contact, near a highway close to the Coração Vermelho hacienda. There, inside the car, I wrote the my dispatches about FARC money going to the PT. I had listened the story for the first time. Father Olivério Medina was quite happy."

The Brazilian magazine continues reporting the alleged spy story:

''On April 22, I listened again to this story. It was during a meeting in a labour union. One of the friends of the FARC, a Chilean militant, said that they were 5 million dollars and that the money had been already distributed for the PT.''

''The Abin found the history so important that my contact, colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira, invited me to dinner (...) ''

''My stories are based on the facts that I see and hear. I do not know if the money was delivered. I know that, among FARC's friends, this matter was treated responsibly and secretly. The money would come from Trinidad and Tobago to 300 PT businessmen, who would distribute it for the party's committees. Moreover, I wrote this in the reports that I delivered to the colonel.''

''Veja'' claims to have interviewed Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira who was Abin's employee  for seven years and who allegedly coordinated the investigation on the relations between the FARC and the Workers' Party (PT). 

Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira, aged 49, worked for Abin during seven years. He left his job  in 2003 because of alleged differences related to the way the investigations were being carried out after the victory of Workers' Party (PT) in 2002 campaign. The colonel works for the  Military Police in  the Federal District at present time.

''Veja'' said that the colonel told there are at least two dozen reports  describing  the PT-FARC relationships in Abin. Colonel Ferreira says that the document 0095/3100 mentioned by ''Veja'' last week is not even the most important one.

''Veja'' said that Colonel Ferreira  told  the documents were not archived by Abin because they were  dubious. The colonel said that  the documents that describe the relations between PT and FARC were taken very seriously by Abin.

According to ''Veja'', Colonel Ferreira said that in order to avoid the unathourized release of information, the reports were written inside the intelligence director José Milton Campana's office at that time . Campana got a promotion to Abin assistant-director by the current PT government.

Inside Campana's office, other people were in direct contact with the papers: an analyst and an adviser.

According to ''Veja'', the colonel said: "We finished three reports on the case". The colonel said that Abin, with the help of the Federal Police, had traced part of the money that might have come from FARC to PT. There were three payment authorisations, for 1 million dollars each, with indications that they were part of the FARC's money.  The colonel said: "we cannot affirm that it was the guerrillas' money for sure. There were indications. Strong indications, but the investigation stopped after the PT won the elections and I left Abin."

The magazine ''Veja'' emphasized  that it is not deliberately accusing  the Workers'  Party (PT). The magazine  warns that some politicians can try to obtain political advantages with  the news.

Brazilian Senator Demóstenes Torres (PFL) said:  " If  both declarations are true, they  reveal that  Abin appeared to the  Congress commission  and it concealed the truth of the parliament's members. It is serious." The senator told he will ask an secret audience to hear the Abin's spy and the Colonel  Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira.

General Jorge Felix refused to comment the case explaining that everything were already had been told to the  deputies and senators commission.

''Veja'''s last article:"They know everything about it"  was not covered by most part of Brazilian newspapers. However it appeared on television  and on some journalist's blogs.

It is known that the FARC  and PT politics have met since 1990. Many of these meetings occurred during the enconteurs of the Foro de São Paulo.  

The peace talks between Colombia and the FARC guerrilla  started in 1998, during government of the  Colombian President Andres Pastrana Arango.

The FARC had sent a letter to the XI  Foro de São Paulo meeting congratulating Lula  Da Silva for  his victory  in  2002 elections ([http://www.estadao.com.br/agestado/noticias/2002/dez/04/313.htm  Farc felicitam Brasil pela vitória de Lula - O Estado de São Paulo]).

In a interview to Valquíria Rey, from [http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/noticias/2003/030306_colombiafarc1vrra.shtml BBC, in March 6, 2003] FARC commander Pastor Alape praised the independent stance of the Brazil. He told he didn't think that Brazilian government would sign any statement including FARC on the list of international terrorist organizations.
 
If the Brazilian government considered the FARC as a terrorist group, all FARC members could be arrested inside Brazilian territory. 

Some analysts say that the Communist Colombian guerrilla aims to extend its influence throughout other countries in Latin America.[http://washingtontimes.com/world/20050321-091831-2085r.htm], [http://www.caracol.com.co/nota.asp?id=142347]

==Modifications  in  Abin==

After the PT candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva assumed the government the most visible change was the association of Abin with the Cuban service of intelligence.

Abin signed at least an agreement of cooperation with the Cuban service of intelligence. The  Abin general-director  Mauro Marcelo de  Lima e Silva  was in Havana, in  February,  this year,  discussing  an agreement  between Abin  and the Cuban service of intelligence,  the Dirección General de Inteligência (DGI). [http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/interna/0,,OI482000-EI306,00.html], [http://www.primeiraleitura.com.br/auto/leia.php?id=40822],
[http://www.estadao.com.br/rss/agestado/2005/mar/04/7.htm]

The Brazilian government denied   his agents would be  trained  in Cuba.  The government affirmed that it  was only an  mere  bilateral cooperation agreement to resolve problems related to the terrorism and the traffic of weapons. [http://br.news.yahoo.com/050312/6/sgne.html]

==Workers'  Party defense==
The Workers' Party (PT)  released  an official statement signed by the National President  José Genoino repudiating the magazine's article  and denying all presented facts. Part of the note tells:
:''The party neither supports, in the neighboring country, any solution  for the long situation of belligerence lived by  Colombians who are not based on a democratic agreement, pacific and constitutional. The PT has historical position against the terrorism of State or armed groups. In addiction, there are several evidences  that  the PT politics  is marked by  respect to the self-determination of  peoples and the sovereignty of nations, by a politic of not mediation in  internal subjects of each country from any origin. Therefore, we would not accept,  in any  hypothesis, that our political life  suffered the interference from foreign governments  or  groups of any origin.''

The note says that  the article is irresponsible,  that  it comments on facts  without any sustentable evidence . It still says that   the magazine denies  itself when later in the text it affirms that it  did not find  any solid indication  to proof  that  5 million dollars were really sent to PT by  the FARC .

Another note from the Workers' Party (PT), of  February 16, 2002 called  
[http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr?url=http%3A//www.lula.org.br/noticias/not_int.asp%3Fnot_cod%3D1071%26cf_cod%3D30%26sis_cod%3D37&lp=pt_en "The truth  about Colombia and the FARC - and  PT"] tries to clarify the relationship between  the party and  the FARC.  A portion of this note  says that:
:''The  Workers' Party doesn't have any  ties  with the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (FARC). Together with  hundred of  left-wing  parties and movements  in Latin America (among  PT,  PSB,  PPS and the Brazilian PDT),  the FARC is part of [[w: Foro de São Paulo|Foro de  São Paulo]]. In this Forum, coexist organizations of quite distinguished political and  ideological profile. The  Chilean  Socialistic Party of  President Ricardo Lagos, for example, took part of some meetings. All these organizations are not joined by any organic bond, since the Forum is, exactly, a forum of debate, and not a structure of political international coordination. In past, nevertheless, there were leaders' contacts between   FARC  and  Brazilian politicians.''

The leader of the government  Deputy Aloizio Mercadante (PT) said: "If this donation existed, which I do not believe, it was not done to   PT, but   to individuals who are alleged connected to the party.  Case  they were  identified and they  were part of  the party, they would  be forced to leave."

The deputy Paulo Rocha (PT) said that the magazine does not have any proof  that  the money transference from FARC  for  PT occurred. "The magazine admits by itself that that there are no documents verifying  any insinuation of this nature", he adds.

Deputy Paulo Rocha also says that the meetings between  FARC delegates with Brazilian politicians were part of a FARC attempt   of establishing a diplomatic representation in Brazil, which did not happened. So, according to the deputy, there were meetings between the father Olivério Medina, who worked as FARC  ambassador, with parliamentarians of diverse parties. The deputy said: "Meetings can have happened, but there is no political and financial relation with the PT." For the deputy there are no reasons to create a congress  investigation commission,  as  suggested by  oppostion parties.  [http://www.emilianojose.com.br/texto_noticias.php?ID=427]

The Senator Cristovam Buarque(PT) said that the case was a "sad episode, because it affected a party's credibility without anybody seeing any proof." In his opinion the case repercussion was positive "because it demonstrated that Brazil is a country capable of placing the head of its intelligence agency before the entire press and all the members of Congress and exit calmly, without a dent to its credibility."[http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/espanhol/materia_i_2004.php?materia=219287&editoria=PO]

According to the Abin directors  General Jorge Armando Félix and Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva there is no solid evidences relating finantial help from FARC to PT. Because of that, there is no reason to start a new investigation and the case must remain archived.

The ''Veja'' admitted in its article that it is possible that the FARC delegate father Medina did not said the true when he told the FARC would donate 5 million dollars to  PT campaign in Coração Vermelho hacienda. Also the magazine admitted that it cannot proof the donation occurred and it says that it is possible that the  Abin documents are untrue. The magazine ''Veja'' said it didn't involve the Workers' Party, as an organization, in the case. 

The National Secretary of International Relations for Workers'Party (PT), Paulo Ferreira, says that the Central Bank records show that no money entered in Brazil from Trynidad and Tobago during 2002 and 2003. [http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/interna/0,,OI488723-EI1194,00.html]

The leftist Antônio Carlos Viana told to the Brazilian newspaper [http://www.mre.gov.br/portugues/noticiario/nacional/selecao_detalhe.asp?ID_RESENHA=116250  Correio Braziliense]  that during the encounter between  FARC and PT members in Coração Vermelho hacienda there weren't any discussion about money. He said:"We believe that the path to peace in Colombia is people and Brazilian government recognizing the FARC. However we can't take any responsibility by the FARC's actions and we deny categorically any discussion about money to electoral purposes in Brazil."
 
According to an article in [http://www.vermelho.org.br/diario/2005/0313/0313_pt-farc.asp  PCdoB website]:  "none of the participants of the enconteur in Coração Vermelho hacienda says that father Olivério Medina offered money to PT".

The President of PT in [[w:Santa Catarina|Santa Catarina]] Milton Mendes says:"(...)I am perplex and honestly convinced that the article is shameful, irresponsible and a pamphlet."[http://www.pt.org.br/site/artigos/artigos_int.asp?cod=812]. He criticizes  ''Veja'' because the magazine said no proofs were found related to the money donation.

Accusations against PT can be used by the political opposition in negative propaganda.

The Congress Commission which heard the Abin's directors considered the case closed on alleged FARC donation to PT.

==Some Brazilian  comments==
Some opinion excerpts  from the 
O Estado de São Paulo  [http://forum.estadao.com.br/forum/materia/view/05031241 Forum]:

'''Magazines and newspapers must be careful with explosive news''' <br>
''I am not PT sympathizant and I have already criticized some points about  the party and the government(...) There is no saint in any political party, neither in the several religions, neither in the Church. However, I can't believe that someone inside PT,  after I have some knowledge about its leaders, might have received any contribution from the FARC (...) Fake dossiers have already been created relating the PSDB with foreign bank accounts and these news were denied later. The FARC donation is a  campaign gossip which is already began by PT unfortunately.''  &mdash;  Antonio Carlos Rocha da Silva / São Paulo

'''Possibilities''' <br>
''The news published in Veja magazine, March 13, this year, is really daring. Saying that the PT received money from the FARC is serious and grave. If the magazine published the story, there must be, at least, some kind of information.(...)The Workers'Party members deny the fact, with no exception. But you must remember that most of them have belonged to armed groups during the militar regime.(..)If the PT did not prosecute the magazine, the doubt can cause some harm.(...)'' &mdash;  Jorge Cortás Sader Filho / Niterói

'''New story, old subject''' <br>
''The FARC/PT connection is older thant the Bible draft. In 2002 a deputy tryed to create a CPI [Congress Commission of Investigation]  to investigate the donation, however he didn't get enough signatures. (...)If the article is lying, the PT have to proof and expose the magazine, then prosecute it.(...) The worst blind person is who doesn't want to see.  This kind of person, the fanatic voter, is not helping in nothing Brazil.'' &mdash; Sonia / Rio de Janeiro

==Chronology==
[[Image:Pt flag.png|right|]]
* 12-16  March: The magazine Veja  publishes a story saying  that the  FARC  member father Olivério Medina said during a  meeting in Brasilia with members of the left  that he would donate 5 million dollars for the political campaign of  left parties. The magazine says that Abin's documents described the meeting and the money transference from FARC for the Workers Party (PT),  the Brazilian ruling  party.

* 12  March: Brazilian television reports  the fact.

* 13 March: The Workers' Party (PT)  denies any  financial help from  FARC. The party admitts that some politics had met  FARC members, but these meetings were legal and only can  only be characterized as normal  political enconteurs.

* 17 March: Commission of deputies and senators  hear the explanations of the persons in charge for Abin, the  general Jorge Félix and Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva.  They express  the documents used by the magazine Veja are not reliable and cannot be used.

* 18 March: Remote chances for more deep  investigation  after the explanations of the Abin's chiefs.

* 21-23  March:  The magazine Veja publishes new reportage.  The magazine presents the  spy and his former superior,  the  Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira,  testimonies. According to the magazine. They say that the Abin found that the documents were important and reliable. The colonel said that after Lula's victory, the investigations on the FARC changed.

==Understanding the case==

{| WIDTH=100% BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=4 CELLSPACING=0
! EAD | 
|- VALIGN=TOP
! WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#808080" | <P><FONT COLOR="#ffffff">'''What Veja says'''</FONT></P>
! WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#006666" | <P><FONT COLOR="#ffffff">'''What Abin says'''</FONT></P>
! WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" | <P>What PT says</P>
! WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#000066"| <P><FONT COLOR="#ffffff">'''What is certain'''</FONT></P>
|- VALIGN=TOP
| WIDTH=25%  BGCOLOR="#d0d0d0"  | 
*Abin documents show that the FARC donated 5 million dollar to 	PT 2002 political campaign.

*The magazine said that the Abin documents may be untrue, however it is likely to be true  since they were hard checked and reported by a experient spy. 

*The documents were considered to have some credibility and the Abin's superiors  might have passed them to the President.

*The magazine did not find proofs asserting that the FARC really sent money to PT.

*The meeting in the farm, as described in Abin documents, occurred.

*The left Antonio Viana was at the meeting. He denies that they talked about money.  

*The Abin's employees who investigated the case said that Abin considered the documents reliable and important. (March 23).
				
| WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#66CC99" | <P>
*Abin archives have all kind of data, including those one which are likely to be totaly false, the ones considered not relevant, and data that are not in a proper state. 

*Since tha data used by the magazine Veja is in the Abin archive, there is no guarantee about the data veracity. The data maybe untrue.
| WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#ffffcc" | 
*PT denies any envolviment relating FARC money donation.

*PT says that if some of its members received FARC money,  he/she will be expelled out of the party.

*Central Bank's records don't confirm any donation of 5 million dollars to PT.

*PT is against the narcotrafic and terrorism.
| WIDTH=25% BGCOLOR="#e6e6ff" | 
*Some leaders and members of PT have already met FARC delegates several times.

*The FARC and PT are part of the Foro de São Paulo, organization founded by Lula and [[w:Fidel Castro|Fidel Castro]].

*The Brazilian government refuses to recognize the FARC as a terrorist organization.

*Venezuela is accused by Colombia of harboring FARC terrorists.

*Venezuela and Brazil have a tied relationship. Recently Brazil and Venezuela assigned agreements of economic and military cooperation.

*Venezuela ingressed to Foro de São Paulo recently.

*Brazilian government have already said that it is against terrorism.
</FONT>
|}

==See also==
*[[Brazilian Abin director: no proof linking FARC money to PT]]
*[[Brazilian President party received money from FARC, say documents]]
*[[Colombia releases detailed report about the FARC]]

==Sources==

*{{source|url=http://veja.abril.com.br/idade/exclusivo/230305/sumario.html
|title=	Brasil - Informante do caso Farc-PT revela detalhes da história
|author=
|pub=Veja
|date=23 de Março  de 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://veja.abril.com.br/230305/p_038.html
|title=Eles sabem de tudo
|author=Policarpo Junior
|pub=Veja
|date=23 de Março  de 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://washingtontimes.com/world/20050321-091831-2085r.htm
|title=FARC funds tied to Lula
|author=Kelly Hearn
|pub=Washington Times
|date=March 22,  2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.pfl.org.br/news_view.asp?id={D59A19BD-9314-424C-AC1D-7BC0DD5916C8}&box=noticias
|title=Abin rastreou dinheiro das Farcs para o PT
|author=
|pub=PFL
|date=19 de Março  de 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.diegocasagrande.com.br/main.php?flavor=manchetes&id=6147
|title=Veja: há duas dezenas de relatórios do caso PT-Farc na ABIN
|author=
|pub=Journalist Diego Casagrande
|date=20 de marzo de 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://noblat.blig.ig.com.br/2005_03.html
|title=O que a Veja trouxe sobre o PT e as Farc
|author=
|pub=Journalist Ricardo Noblat blog
|date=19  de Março de 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://veja.abril.com.br/idade/exclusivo/160305/sumario.html
|title=Os tentáculos das FARC no Brasil - As explosivas ligações de petistas com as Farc
|author=Policarpo Junior
|pub=Veja
|date=March 16,  2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=219287&q=1&idioma=IG
|title=Commission considers case closed on alleged FARC donation to PT
|author=Gabriela Guerreiro,David Silberstein
|pub=Radiobras
|date=March 18, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.radiobras.gov.br/materia_i_2004.php?materia=218868&editoria=
|title=Leaders rebut accusations of alleged ties between PT and FARC
|author=Iolando Lourenço, David Silberstein
|pub=Radiobras
|date=March 15, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N17606142.htm|title=Brazil dismisses Colombia rebel cash report|author=|pub=Reuters|date=March 18, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.estadao.com.br/nacional/noticias/2005/mar/17/186.htm
|title=	   Abin descarta envolvimento entre Farc e PT
|author=Vasconcelo Quadros
|pub=O Estado de São Paulo
|date=March 17, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/interna/0,,OI488723-EI1194,00.html
|title=Registros do BC desmentem ligação do PT com Farc
|author=
|pub=Terra
|date=March 15, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4263025.stm
|title= Lula and Chavez to boost alliance
|author=Iain Bruce 
|pub=BBC News
|date=February 14, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1212827.stm
|title=Timeline: Colombia - A chronology of key events
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=February 16,  2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1746777.stm
|title= Colombia's most powerful rebels
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=September 19, 2003}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1913475.stm
|title=Analysis: Colombia's conflict spills over
|author=Jeremy McDermott 
|pub=BBC News
|date=April  5, 2002}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1296129.stm
|title=Colombia deports Brazilian 'drug boss'
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=April  25, 2001}}

*{{source|url=http://www.canfnet.org/News/archived/011205newsa.htm
|title=Leftists open Havana meeting 
|author=
|pub=The Orlando Sentinel
|date=December 5, 2001}}

{{archive}}

[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Brazil]]
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[[Category:Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]]
[[Category:Magazines]]

[[es:General no dijo verdad sobre caso FARC-PT, dicen personas que trabajaron en la investigación]]
[[pt:FARC-PT:Abin não disse a verdade, dizem pessoas que trabalharam na investigação da Abin]]
The Head Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet of Brazil, General Jorge Felix, and the director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva, testifying before a commission of deputies and senators, said documents may be incorrect. They maintain the Brazilian magazine Veja, in its article "FARC's tentacles in Brazil", should not be used.  

This weekend, Veja presented testimonies by people who allegedly worked on Abin's FARC-PT investigation. These contradict the explanations that General Felix gave to the commission.

thumb
Veja said that it used as its sources the documents from Abin and the allegations of Abin's  employees. The Head Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet of Brazil's General Jorge Felix, and the director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva,  said that the  documents were not reliable.

The official Abin version can be seen on  its website. The agency stores and archives all data collected by the intelligence service, including  data that do not fulfill all Abin's criteria for consistency and accuracy. Every kind of document remains in Abin archive so it can be re-evaluated in the future. According to General Felix, Abin archives may contain data that are not relevant, tendentious or  completely untrue. The documents mentioned by Veja are this sort of data.

According to   Brazilian  Federal Senate's website, General Félix told "the documents  were archived because they don't deserve credit, and they don't present any proof related to the allegations contained therein".

The general said: "Of course Abin  monitores all FARC activities, it is part of its job; however, in this specific case, there is no sustainable argument, and there is any credibility. Therefore, the papers are archived."

On 21 March Veja published another article named: "They know  everything about it", contradicting Abin. The article stated that two people -- a alleged spy who was in a meeting where a supposed donation by the FARC member father Medina took place, and his former Abin superior, Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira -- had said that the documents were not merely information ignored by the agency, due to a lack of evidence, as the  General Félix argued.

Veja's wrote that the documents that mentioned the alleged FARC-PT relationship were considered very important  by  Abin. Veja's story told the documents were archived and the investigations into their contents ceased after the victory of the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). 

Veja has since claimed to have interviewed the Albin spy again, whose identity the magazine chooses not to reveal, since he is allegedly still active.

According to the spy, he infiltrated the labour union movement twenty years ago. His colleagues were PT members and Communists and his task was informing the intelligence agency about the Brazilian labor movement.

According to Veja, the spy says that he came upon the FARC case accidentally. It happened when leftists invited him to be part of a pro-FARC committee, in defense of the Colombian guerrillas. The spy claims to have agreed and he began to frequent the meetings, which were almost always secret.

Veja says that, on April 13, 2002, the spy took part of a meeting together with other   leftists, in Coração Vermelho (Red Heart) hacienda, near  Brasilia. Veja reports that the spy heard father Olivério Medina, representative of the FARC, announcing that he would donate 5 million dollars for the campaign of the Brazilian president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in 2002.

Furthermore, according to Veja, the Abin's spy said: " Immediately I left the meeting, on April 13 and met my Abin contact, near a highway close to the Coração Vermelho hacienda. There, inside the car, I wrote the my dispatches about FARC money going to the PT. I had listened the story for the first time. Father Olivério Medina was quite happy."

The Brazilian magazine continues reporting the alleged spy story:

On April 22, I listened again to this story. It was during a meeting in a labour union. One of the friends of the FARC, a Chilean militant, said that they were 5 million dollars and that the money had been already distributed for the PT.

The Abin found the history so important that my contact, colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira, invited me to dinner (...) 

My stories are based on the facts that I see and hear. I do not know if the money was delivered. I know that, among FARC's friends, this matter was treated responsibly and secretly. The money would come from Trinidad and Tobago to 300 PT businessmen, who would distribute it for the party's committees. Moreover, I wrote this in the reports that I delivered to the colonel.

Veja claims to have interviewed Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira who was Abin's employee  for seven years and who allegedly coordinated the investigation on the relations between the FARC and the Workers' Party (PT). 

Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira, aged 49, worked for Abin during seven years. He left his job  in 2003 because of alleged differences related to the way the investigations were being carried out after the victory of Workers' Party (PT) in 2002 campaign. The colonel works for the  Military Police in  the Federal District at present time.

Veja said that the colonel told there are at least two dozen reports  describing  the PT-FARC relationships in Abin. Colonel Ferreira says that the document 0095/3100 mentioned by Veja last week is not even the most important one.

Veja said that Colonel Ferreira  told  the documents were not archived by Abin because they were  dubious. The colonel said that  the documents that describe the relations between PT and FARC were taken very seriously by Abin.

According to Veja, Colonel Ferreira said that in order to avoid the unathourized release of information, the reports were written inside the intelligence director José Milton Campana's office at that time . Campana got a promotion to Abin assistant-director by the current PT government.

Inside Campana's office, other people were in direct contact with the papers: an analyst and an adviser.

According to Veja, the colonel said: "We finished three reports on the case". The colonel said that Abin, with the help of the Federal Police, had traced part of the money that might have come from FARC to PT. There were three payment authorisations, for 1 million dollars each, with indications that they were part of the FARC's money.  The colonel said: "we cannot affirm that it was the guerrillas' money for sure. There were indications. Strong indications, but the investigation stopped after the PT won the elections and I left Abin."

The magazine Veja emphasized  that it is not deliberately accusing  the Workers'  Party (PT). The magazine  warns that some politicians can try to obtain political advantages with  the news.

Brazilian Senator Demóstenes Torres (PFL) said:  " If  both declarations are true, they  reveal that  Abin appeared to the  Congress commission  and it concealed the truth of the parliament's members. It is serious." The senator told he will ask an secret audience to hear the Abin's spy and the Colonel  Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira.

General Jorge Felix refused to comment the case explaining that everything were already had been told to the  deputies and senators commission.

Veja's last article:"They know everything about it"  was not covered by most part of Brazilian newspapers. However it appeared on television  and on some journalist's blogs.

It is known that the FARC  and PT politics have met since 1990. Many of these meetings occurred during the enconteurs of the Foro de São Paulo.  

The peace talks between Colombia and the FARC guerrilla  started in 1998, during government of the  Colombian President Andres Pastrana Arango.

The FARC had sent a letter to the XI  Foro de São Paulo meeting congratulating Lula  Da Silva for  his victory  in  2002 elections (  Farc felicitam Brasil pela vitória de Lula - O Estado de São Paulo).

In a interview to Valquíria Rey, from  BBC, in March 6, 2003 FARC commander Pastor Alape praised the independent stance of the Brazil. He told he didn't think that Brazilian government would sign any statement including FARC on the list of international terrorist organizations.
 
If the Brazilian government considered the FARC as a terrorist group, all FARC members could be arrested inside Brazilian territory. 

Some analysts say that the Communist Colombian guerrilla aims to extend its influence throughout other countries in Latin America., 

Abin signed at least an agreement of cooperation with the Cuban service of intelligence. The  Abin general-director  Mauro Marcelo de  Lima e Silva  was in Havana, in  February,  this year,  discussing  an agreement  between Abin  and the Cuban service of intelligence,  the Dirección General de Inteligência (DGI). , ,


The Brazilian government denied   his agents would be  trained  in Cuba.  The government affirmed that it  was only an  mere  bilateral cooperation agreement to resolve problems related to the terrorism and the traffic of weapons. 

The note says that  the article is irresponsible,  that  it comments on facts  without any sustentable evidence . It still says that   the magazine denies  itself when later in the text it affirms that it  did not find  any solid indication  to proof  that  5 million dollars were really sent to PT by  the FARC .

Another note from the Workers' Party (PT), of  February 16, 2002 called  
 "The truth  about Colombia and the FARC - and  PT" tries to clarify the relationship between  the party and  the FARC.  A portion of this note  says that:
:The  Workers' Party doesn't have any  ties  with the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (FARC). Together with  hundred of  left-wing  parties and movements  in Latin America (among  PT,  PSB,  PPS and the Brazilian PDT),  the FARC is part of Foro de  São Paulo. In this Forum, coexist organizations of quite distinguished political and  ideological profile. The  Chilean  Socialistic Party of  President Ricardo Lagos, for example, took part of some meetings. All these organizations are not joined by any organic bond, since the Forum is, exactly, a forum of debate, and not a structure of political international coordination. In past, nevertheless, there were leaders' contacts between   FARC  and  Brazilian politicians.

The leader of the government  Deputy Aloizio Mercadante (PT) said: "If this donation existed, which I do not believe, it was not done to   PT, but   to individuals who are alleged connected to the party.  Case  they were  identified and they  were part of  the party, they would  be forced to leave."

The deputy Paulo Rocha (PT) said that the magazine does not have any proof  that  the money transference from FARC  for  PT occurred. "The magazine admits by itself that that there are no documents verifying  any insinuation of this nature", he adds.

Deputy Paulo Rocha also says that the meetings between  FARC delegates with Brazilian politicians were part of a FARC attempt   of establishing a diplomatic representation in Brazil, which did not happened. So, according to the deputy, there were meetings between the father Olivério Medina, who worked as FARC  ambassador, with parliamentarians of diverse parties. The deputy said: "Meetings can have happened, but there is no political and financial relation with the PT." For the deputy there are no reasons to create a congress  investigation commission,  as  suggested by  oppostion parties.  

The Senator Cristovam Buarque(PT) said that the case was a "sad episode, because it affected a party's credibility without anybody seeing any proof." In his opinion the case repercussion was positive "because it demonstrated that Brazil is a country capable of placing the head of its intelligence agency before the entire press and all the members of Congress and exit calmly, without a dent to its credibility."

According to the Abin directors  General Jorge Armando Félix and Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva there is no solid evidences relating finantial help from FARC to PT. Because of that, there is no reason to start a new investigation and the case must remain archived.

The Veja admitted in its article that it is possible that the FARC delegate father Medina did not said the true when he told the FARC would donate 5 million dollars to  PT campaign in Coração Vermelho hacienda. Also the magazine admitted that it cannot proof the donation occurred and it says that it is possible that the  Abin documents are untrue. The magazine Veja said it didn't involve the Workers' Party, as an organization, in the case. 

The National Secretary of International Relations for Workers'Party (PT), Paulo Ferreira, says that the Central Bank records show that no money entered in Brazil from Trynidad and Tobago during 2002 and 2003. 

The leftist Antônio Carlos Viana told to the Brazilian newspaper   Correio Braziliense  that during the encounter between  FARC and PT members in Coração Vermelho hacienda there weren't any discussion about money. He said:"We believe that the path to peace in Colombia is people and Brazilian government recognizing the FARC. However we can't take any responsibility by the FARC's actions and we deny categorically any discussion about money to electoral purposes in Brazil."
 
According to an article in   PCdoB website:  "none of the participants of the enconteur in Coração Vermelho hacienda says that father Olivério Medina offered money to PT".

The President of PT in Santa Catarina Milton Mendes says:"(...)I am perplex and honestly convinced that the article is shameful, irresponsible and a pamphlet.". He criticizes  Veja because the magazine said no proofs were found related to the money donation.

Accusations against PT can be used by the political opposition in negative propaganda.

The Congress Commission which heard the Abin's directors considered the case closed on alleged FARC donation to PT.

'Magazines and newspapers must be careful with explosive news' 
I am not PT sympathizant and I have already criticized some points about  the party and the government(...) There is no saint in any political party, neither in the several religions, neither in the Church. However, I can't believe that someone inside PT,  after I have some knowledge about its leaders, might have received any contribution from the FARC (...) Fake dossiers have already been created relating the PSDB with foreign bank accounts and these news were denied later. The FARC donation is a  campaign gossip which is already began by PT unfortunately.  —  Antonio Carlos Rocha da Silva / São Paulo

'Possibilities' 
The news published in Veja magazine, March 13, this year, is really daring. Saying that the PT received money from the FARC is serious and grave. If the magazine published the story, there must be, at least, some kind of information.(...)The Workers'Party members deny the fact, with no exception. But you must remember that most of them have belonged to armed groups during the militar regime.(..)If the PT did not prosecute the magazine, the doubt can cause some harm.(...) —  Jorge Cortás Sader Filho / Niterói

'New story, old subject' 
The FARC/PT connection is older thant the Bible draft. In 2002 a deputy tryed to create a CPI Congress Commission of Investigation  to investigate the donation, however he didn't get enough signatures. (...)If the article is lying, the PT have to proof and expose the magazine, then prosecute it.(...) The worst blind person is who doesn't want to see.  This kind of person, the fanatic voter, is not helping in nothing Brazil. — Sonia / Rio de Janeiro

* 12  March: Brazilian television reports  the fact.

* 13 March: The Workers' Party (PT)  denies any  financial help from  FARC. The party admitts that some politics had met  FARC members, but these meetings were legal and only can  only be characterized as normal  political enconteurs.

* 17 March: Commission of deputies and senators  hear the explanations of the persons in charge for Abin, the  general Jorge Félix and Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva.  They express  the documents used by the magazine Veja are not reliable and cannot be used.

* 18 March: Remote chances for more deep  investigation  after the explanations of the Abin's chiefs.

* 21-23  March:  The magazine Veja publishes new reportage.  The magazine presents the  spy and his former superior,  the  Colonel Eduardo Adolfo Ferreira,  testimonies. According to the magazine. They say that the Abin found that the documents were important and reliable. The colonel said that after Lula's victory, the investigations on the FARC changed.

*The magazine said that the Abin documents may be untrue, however it is likely to be true  since they were hard checked and reported by a experient spy. 

*The documents were considered to have some credibility and the Abin's superiors  might have passed them to the President.

*The magazine did not find proofs asserting that the FARC really sent money to PT.

*The meeting in the farm, as described in Abin documents, occurred.

*The left Antonio Viana was at the meeting. He denies that they talked about money.  

*The Abin's employees who investigated the case said that Abin considered the documents reliable and important. (March 23).
				

 
*Abin archives have all kind of data, including those one which are likely to be totaly false, the ones considered not relevant, and data that are not in a proper state. 

*Since tha data used by the magazine Veja is in the Abin archive, there is no guarantee about the data veracity. The data maybe untrue.

 
*PT denies any envolviment relating FARC money donation.

*PT says that if some of its members received FARC money,  he/she will be expelled out of the party.

*Central Bank's records don't confirm any donation of 5 million dollars to PT.

*PT is against the narcotrafic and terrorism.

 
*Some leaders and members of PT have already met FARC delegates several times.

*The FARC and PT are part of the Foro de São Paulo, organization founded by Lula and Fidel Castro.

*The Brazilian government refuses to recognize the FARC as a terrorist organization.

*Venezuela is accused by Colombia of harboring FARC terrorists.

*Venezuela and Brazil have a tied relationship. Recently Brazil and Venezuela assigned agreements of economic and military cooperation.

*Venezuela ingressed to Foro de São Paulo recently.

*Brazilian government have already said that it is against terrorism.


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es:General no dijo verdad sobre caso FARC-PT, dicen personas que trabajaron en la investigación
FARC-PT:Abin não disse a verdade, dizem pessoas que trabalharam na investigação da Abin
Politics and conflicts Crime and law South America Brazil Published Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Magazines