Alvaro Fayad
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Fayad Delgado “The Turk” (in Spanish, el Turco) was a Colombian guerilla, cofounder and leader of the 19th of April movement (M-19)
, founded in 1970.
. He obtained his High School Diploma from the Seminary of Santa Rosa and entered the National University of Colombia
in 1965 to study psychology. There he met fellow militant Camilo Torres Restrepo
. Fayad entered the Communist Youth (Juventudes Comunistas, JUCO) and there met Jaime Bateman Cayón
, an influential figure in his life. He and Bateman joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
, where they remained until the end of 1969, when they entered the National Popular Alliance
.
On January 27, 1974, M-19 stole the sword of Bolívar
, arguing that it symbolized both nationalism and the Bolivaran Movement. Spectacular actions as this were carried out by the M-19 in later years, but they were not successful overall. An arms heist in Canton Norte only earned a jail term for the leaders of M-19, including Fayad. He went to trial with 219 members of M-19 in a military hearing, and served as his own lawyer; his defense appears in The Wars of the Peace by Olga Behar, along with descriptions of the torture endured by him and his companions. He was sentenced to 26 years in jail by the Military Court, but he was granted amnesty by the government of Belisario Betancur
. He met with the chief executive several times to negotiate peace; in October 1983 in Madrid
(Spain
), they negotiated an agreement which was signed in Corinto
in August 1984.
19th of April Movement
The 19th of April Movement or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla movement. After its demobilization it became a political party, the M-19 Democratic Alliance , or AD/M-19.The M-19 traced its origins to the allegedly fraudulent presidential elections of 19 April 1970...
, founded in 1970.
Early life
Fayad was born in Ulloa Valley on July 24, 1946 and grew up in Cartago, Valle del CaucaCartago, Valle del Cauca
Cartago is a city in southwestern Colombia, about 187 miles west of Bogotá. It is in the extreme northern portion of the Valle del Cauca Department. It is located very close to the city of Pereira, about a 20 minute drive. It is the fourth largest city in Valle after Cali, Palmira, and Tuluá...
. He obtained his High School Diploma from the Seminary of Santa Rosa and entered the National University of Colombia
National University of Colombia
The Universidad Nacional de Colombia , also called UNAL or just UN, is a public, national, coeducational, research university, located primarily in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, Colombia...
in 1965 to study psychology. There he met fellow militant Camilo Torres Restrepo
Camilo Torres Restrepo
Father Camilo Torres Restrepo was a Colombian socialist, Roman Catholic priest, a predecessor of liberation theology and a member of the National Liberation Army guerrilla organisation...
. Fayad entered the Communist Youth (Juventudes Comunistas, JUCO) and there met Jaime Bateman Cayón
Jaime Bateman Cayón
Jaime Bateman Cayón aka el flaco "Skinny" or Pablo by his fellow guerrilleros was a Colombian guerrilla leader and both founder and commander of the 19th of April guerrilla movement.- Early years :Bateman grew up in an environment of social movements, his mother Clementina Cayón was an advocate...
, an influential figure in his life. He and Bateman joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
, where they remained until the end of 1969, when they entered the National Popular Alliance
National Popular Alliance
The National Popular Alliance or ANAPO was a political party in Colombia. It was founded in 1961 as a movement by the ex-president Gustavo Rojas Pinilla and was disbanded in 1998...
.
Career in M-19
Bateman and Fayad co-founded M-19 in response to the allegedly fraudulent defeat of General Rojas Pinilla in the presidential elections of April 19, 1970. Fayad played a very important role within its organization and other guerrilla detachments like the Popular Liberation Army.On January 27, 1974, M-19 stole the sword of Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
, arguing that it symbolized both nationalism and the Bolivaran Movement. Spectacular actions as this were carried out by the M-19 in later years, but they were not successful overall. An arms heist in Canton Norte only earned a jail term for the leaders of M-19, including Fayad. He went to trial with 219 members of M-19 in a military hearing, and served as his own lawyer; his defense appears in The Wars of the Peace by Olga Behar, along with descriptions of the torture endured by him and his companions. He was sentenced to 26 years in jail by the Military Court, but he was granted amnesty by the government of Belisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur Cuartas is a Colombian statesman, who as a member of the Colombian Conservative Party was President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986.- Biographic data :...
. He met with the chief executive several times to negotiate peace; in October 1983 in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), they negotiated an agreement which was signed in Corinto
Corinto, Cauca
Corinto is a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia....
in August 1984.