Jorge Suárez, son of guerrilla leader Víctor Julio Suárez known by the alias ‘Mono Jojoy’, met former President Álvaro Uribe at his ranch, as part of the promotion of peace and reconciliation that he has undertaken with his wife.
The visit took place on June 2, between the former president, the peace signer and the journalist Catalina Suárez, whom he married after his return to civilian life. She, who has been close to the former president, maintained that this meeting was special because of Uribe Vélez’s meeting with her husband.
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“We talked about the country and a lot of history, about the deep pain of a Colombia that needs to respect itself and have opportunities, we also talked about my love for Catalina and our work in respect for difference,” Suárez said about the meeting.
Jojoy was one of the main guerrilla commanders during the Uribe Government. Even the Minister of Defense, then Juan Manuel Santos, accused the also well-known Jorge Briceño, who died in a bombing in September 2010, of planning an attack against the president.
“I talked about the opportunity in life that came to me with La Paz and with pride about my father Víctor Julio Suárez known as Mono Jojoy. The country must begin to dialogue, binding dialogues allow us to weave Peace into everyday life,” Suárez said about the meeting.
The peace signatory reaffirmed that these dialogues must be promoted as proposed by President Gustavo Petro, to find common points despite differences, in order to move towards overcoming the conflict and violence in the country.
“I signed La Paz to work day by day from what is most real and difficult to achieve dialogues between different and unthinkable people and to help sow seeds of peace, truth and country. I know that these meetings contribute to a better country. One in which one day we will not fight between family, friends and acquaintances for thinking differently,” he noted.
According to Suárez, since the signing of the agreement he has dedicated himself to building bridges with different sectors, seeking to combat the labels that prevent reconciliation and that his purpose is to invite all people to contribute to the construction of peace.
The Suárez spouses also gave the former president the book You can go in peace “as a symbol of invitation to peace.” In that text, they both told the story of how they met and love arose, despite the fact that they still have opposing political positions.
“We talked about life, the country, historical events and with both of them I was able to learn a little about the geography of the country by listening to them. Family, pain, country, concerns and reconciliation are part of the topics that were discussed,” Catalina said through social networks about the visit.
The journalist assured that these types of meetings are part of the purpose of the book she published with her husband, in order to support the challenge of national reconciliation, in which dialogues between people who think differently occur without attacks and without enmities. .
“Sitting down with someone who thinks differently and talking is never synonymous with lowering your head or giving in, but rather a sign of democratic spirit, maturity, and prioritizing the common good over personal differences. These meetings must take place between everyone, they talk about the country and they are a seed of change for everyone,” Suárez said.
“I am proud of the man I love and who also speaks of the Uribe that I have always known, a man of democracy, respect and dialogue with a big heart,” added the journalist, who pointed out that Lina de Uribe was also present at the visit.
