To the European Commission, to the Government and Head of the States of the European Union States and its associated states, to the European Parliament, to the Parliaments of the European Union States and its associated States.
After the terrible attacks against the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon, in Washington, on September, 11th, The United States Government proposed to the world a long and global war against international terrorism. We, also, energically condemn terrorism due to its antidemocratic roots.
Nevertheless, the way the United States government defines the war against terrorism has a vagueness that is not acceptable in such a serious manner: that is, what should be understood by "terrorism". It should be noted that not even a word is mentioned aboud "state terrorism" which has caused so much dismay and antidemocratic consequences in many cases during the last century. However, there is a risk to include in the list of terrorist organisations popular resistence movements as well as guerrilla movements. In other words,those popular movements that use violence against oppressive regimes as a last resort when all other means of action have been deprived from them.
We should be aware that if we classify such organisations as terrorists, we ignore the deep democratic character of movements that, in history, have never used terrorism in their struggle, but of course, some kind of violence. These struggles have played a vital role in the political configuration of our present world as well as in our democratic institutions. They have played a fundamental role in the anticolonialistic struggles - among them,that of The United States- and the resistance movements against fascism, for instance. If we follow the path of defining these movements as terrorists, we would weaken democracy instead of defending and strengthing it.
What we have said assure us in the firm belief that organisations as FARC-EP and ELN in Colombia, FPLP in Palestine and guerrillas movements in some Asian countries which use violence "as an ultimate resort to confront tyranny and oppression" - as The Universal Human Rights Declaration says - must not be classified as terrorists regardless of the opinion one can have about their political point of view.
Unfortunaly, this misconception is present in the december 7th European Union Presidencial Declaration on the peace process in Colombia where it is said: "Until new order the European Union States will not issue any new residence permit or visas to such armed group representatives" refering to FARC-EP and ELN of Colombia, creating significant dificulties on the complex peace process that began three years ago when The Forum for Negotiation and Dialogue was established composed by representatives of the Colombian government and the insurgent forces. We consider this as a serious negative step in the alarming confusion created between terrorist organisations and popular resistance movements.
Those who sign this document believe that Europe, due to its cultural, political and legal traditions, should not incur in such damaging confusion, not only for the sake of these movements but in behalf of Europe itself.