After the Biden Administration announced it would be delisting the Colombian-based Marxist terrorist group FARC from the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations, a number of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle raised furor over the decision.
This included state Senator Annette Taddeo (D), who fled Colombia after the group kidnapped her father and took over her family farm. Other lawmakers like Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) questioned the decision, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s (R) campaign team is drawing attention to lawmakers that haven’t commented on the matter.
His 2022 Senatorial challenger, Florida Rep. Val Demings (D), is now the subject of scrutiny, being accused of being “tight-lipped on such a painful issue.”
Both Taddeo and Crist, who are running to unseat Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (D) have vocally questioned the President’s decision of removing the group from the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations. Taddeo took to Twitter to denounce the decision while Crist took to merely questioned the decision.
The FARC, funded by the Castro regime & now by the Maduro regime & the narco trade are terrorists. Just like the Sandinistas & other groups who have terrorized, persecuted, tortured, & kidnapped individuals in other countries. For me & many of us this is painful & very personal. https://t.co/d2LrNvkD95
— Annette Taddeo (She/Her/Ella) (@Annette_Taddeo) November 24, 2021
I stand with Colombians across Florida and the U.S. who are deeply concerned with the State Department’s reported consideration of removing FARC from the list of international terrorist organizations.
They've caused decades of war and death — they've earned their designation. pic.twitter.com/nLBQ3j4Syy
— Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) November 24, 2021
In a statement, Elizabeth Gregory, the communications director for Marco Rubio for Senate, criticized Demings, arguing that she “must be tight-lipped on such a painful issue for so many Colombian-Americans in Florida because she supports President Biden’s decision.”
“This is yet another indication that when the rubber meets the road, Demings is always going to side with far-left Democrats in Washington over the interests of Floridians,” Gregory affirmed.
***UPDATE—Rep. Demings issued a statement this past Monday condemning the move to lift the terrorist label of the FARC.
“I join my fellow Floridians in standing with the tens of thousands of Colombian-Americans in every corner of our state, and I share their deep concern over reports that the State Department plans to remove FARC from a list of international terrorist organizations. We should not tolerate or participate in legitimizing this violent and extreme communist organization responsible for decades of war, murder, kidnappings, and generations of instability, displacement, and violence.
“FARC’s heinous crimes against the Colombian people cannot be dismissed. It is a mistake to move forward with delisting FARC without the consult and support of Colombian-Americans in Florida and across the country.”-Rep. Val Demings
After the decision was announced by the Biden Administration, Senator Rubio released a statement, sharing his disapproval.
"Colombia has endured decades of pain and suffering because of the vicious terrorist attacks spearheaded by the FARC," said Rubio, adding that "The Biden Administration’s decision to remove the FARC from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list risks emboldening narcoterrorists and the regimes that sponsor them throughout our region."
Rubio called for Congress to "hold hearings on this decision to examine what it means for stability in the hemisphere, as well as U.S. and Colombian security interests.”
