Diario las Américas., 1958-01-09
TEMPERATURE
I.-4@ e@mH8gF@@s
VILLAINS IN POLITICS I

VI 6AAJ ~
when bitter strife develops
among different groups, or
against the Government 4, in
dividuals devoid of all moral
qualities come forth to join those
groups and do their best to win
the friendship of the leaders
with their outbursts and their
tenacity.
This is extremely dangerous
for society and for the. political
groups that accept this kind of
services, because they do grave
harm to the stable and peaceful
existence of the first and they
detract prestige to the second in
front of public opinion, which
calmly analyses the conduct Of
every party and every individual.
Those heading these groups,
the democratic leaders who
endeavor to surround their
causes with prestige SO that they
may be respected, yet never
feared, must oppose such
elements and separate them from
their ranks, even if it means
not having a few good things
that may be obtained through
this type of individuals, who are
familiar to an environment of
delinquency and responsibility.
The benefits derived by a party
leader or by a group from the
audacity and perseverance of
some elements better classified
as villains in their police records
and by their general behavior in
society, who turn their backs to
culture and morality, are unthink-
ably small if compared to the
harm done to'those leaders or to
those parties who count on their
side such individual, despised by
honest people above all political
or party interests.
Therefore, even for reasons Of
political gains, it is unwise for
those who aspire to public
respect and to the consideration
OF their c~ountrymen, to surround
themselves with individuals who
discredit them in front of the
honest people, who constitute
the great majority in our COM
munities.
There is no doubt that it is
quite difficult for group leaders
to shed these Comrades.
because sometimes, if their harm
tul effects have taken roots as a
result of the indifference or the
completely of the leaders, perso.
nal risks are faced. But the
case is that those who want to
be leaders must necessarily take
to themselves all the response
billties accompanying political
leadership.
Two illustrious Colombian ex-
Presidents, and top figures in
American intellectual and demo.
cratic circles, Alberto Lleras Ca
margo and Eduardo Santos. who
have fought immensely for the
return of republican life to their
country, in their joint New
Years message to the Colombian
nation, bitterly refer, with
categoric words, with civic in.
tegrity, with a high sense of
responsibility, to all those who
IN the name of political causes
plant terror and impose their
will on the basis of violence and
with attempts against individual
life.
In all certainty, the words of
Lleras Camargo and Santos did
not echo on those who felt
alluded and despised, but the
great educated majority of the
Colombian people should keep
on believing in the cause sym.
bolized by Lleras and Santos
which is the cause of the Nation
and OF public decency. Following
are some excerpts of their mes.
sage:
1T is urgent to take away
from the villains who continue in
a barbarous career of crime, all
the pretexts and masks that may
dlssimulate their horrid behavior.
This does not refer to conserya-
tlves, or liberals, or communists.
or to old or new partisans. To
say or to admit such a thing is
to approve, even if in good
faith, OF the savage work of those
who are villains purely and
simply, moved only by unhealthy
primitive passions or by lowiy
greed, or perhaps by both.
Against those delinquents, who
have no excuse, it is necessary
to oppose the joint efforts Of
all the good men, as they consti
tute a somber threat against the
security, the life and the honor
OF the Colombians. If any right
or claim is made through the
way of a reproachable conduct,
that right is annulled, n~efariously
smudged'... ?
With words such as the proceed.
ing ones Lleras Camargo and
Eduardo Santos may lose the
support Of villains-if they ever
N- ~ ~ 49, w =