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Farouk Al-Shara Farouk al-Shara Siria, Vicepresidente de la República (2006-) y ministro de Exteriores (1984-2006) Duración del mandato: 21 de Febrero de 2006 - En funciones Nacimiento: Damasco, 10 de Diciembre de 1938 Partido político: Partido del Renacimiento Árabe Socialista (Baaz) Profesión : Funcionario y diplomático Resumen http://www.cidob.org 1 of 3 Biografía El veterano Farouk al-Shara, vicepresidente primero de Siria y antiguo ministro de Exteriores, es seguramente el rostro más conocido de la dictadura del partido Baaz fuera de los dos cabezas de la familia que la ha ejercido con puño de hierro en los últimos 43 años, Hafez al-Assad y su hijo Bashar. Muy activo en las palestras diplomáticas, donde defendió con ardor y lealtad las complicadas posiciones de Damasco, Shara viene mostrado sin embargo una actitud moderada y antibelicista, que alienta dudas sobre su grado de compromiso con el régimen, a lo largo del alzamiento popular y la guerra civil que desangran Siria desde 2011. Este notable damasceno de familia sunní recibió una educación anglófona en la Universidad de Damasco y la Universidad de Londres, donde estudió Derecho. Baazista de primera hora, con 25 años ingresó en el Comité Central del partido de ideología socialista y nacionalista panárabe; fue en 1963, justo el año en que el Baaz se hizo con el poder por la vía de un golpe de Estado militar- revolucionario. Un largo ejercicio como encargado de la oficina de la aerolínea nacional en el Reino Unido precedió su ingreso en el cuerpo diplomático en 1977, cuando fue destinado como embajador a Italia. Tres años después saltó al Gobierno como viceministro de Exteriores y en 1984 Assad padre le confirió la cartera de canciller. En los 22 años siguientes, Shara se movió con soltura en el tablero de Oriente Próximo, donde su jefe, un dictador tan despiadado como astuto y maquiavélico, practicaba alambicados juegos de interlocución, guerra y terrorismo, implicando por igual a actores contrapuestos como Estados Unidos, la URSS, Líbano, Israel, la OLP o Irán, y buscando siempre y solamente el provecho nacional. El ministro encabezó la delegación siria en la Conferencia de Paz de Madrid de 1991 y luego dialogó de manera intermitente y sin resultados con Israel, al que Damasco exigía la restitución íntegra de los Altos del Golán, ocupados desde 1967, previamente a cualquier negociación para terminar con el estado de guerra de facto entre los dos países. Las intrigas políticas que acompañaron el ocaso vital de Hafez al-Assad a finales de los noventa pudieron truncar el ascenso de Shara al puesto de primer ministro. Entonces, se dijo que el heredero en ciernes del autócrata, su vástago mayor, aunque necesitaba a los curtidos capitostes de la vieja guardia del padre, no estaba dispuesto a que ninguno de ellos le hiciera sombra. Para Shara, la mudanza presidencial de 2000 supuso su confirmación como ministro de Exteriores por Bashar al-Assad, quien además le abrió las puertas de la suprema instancia del Baaz sirio, el Mando Regional. La tensión que se apoderó de las relaciones internacionales tras los atentados del 11-S volvió a mal encarar, tras una década de contactos fluidos, a Siria y Estados Unidos. En 2003 Shara fue el primer receptor de las recriminaciones y las veladas amenazas de la Administración Bush, que incluyó al país árabe en el Eje del Mal, por el rechazo radical de Damasco a la invasión de Irak, tesis que el ministro expuso con vehemencia en los acalorados debates del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU. La situación de Siria se vio agravada por la colérica reacción israelí a los amparos brindados a Hezbollah, Hamás y la Jihad Islámica, y por el asesinato en 2005 del ex primer ministro libanés Rafiq al-Hariri, que provocó un enorme revuelo y puso al régimen assadiano, acusado de ordenar el magnicidio, contra las cuerdas. El 21 de febrero de 2006, dos meses antes de someterse, al igual que el presidente y en la práctica como sospechoso, a una entrevista de la comisión de la ONU que investigaba el asesinato de Hariri, Shara fue nombrado por Assad vicepresidente primero de la República en sustitución de Abdul Halim Jaddam, el cual había dimitido y huido al exilio, desde donde incriminó a Assad en la ola de atentados contra personalidades libanesas antisirias. El nombramiento suscitó diferentes interpretaciones: para unos, Shara había sido degradado al perder buena parte de su perfil mediático; para otros, cabía hablar de promoción, pues en adelante estaría más presente en el proceso de toma de decisiones de puertas adentro, donde imponía sus criterios el núcleo duro formado por la familia Assad y su clan sectario alauí. El http://www.cidob.org 2 of 3 caso era que ahora Shara tenía la condición constitucional de sucesor en funciones de Assad si este dimitía o fallecía en el cargo. No estaba claro el grado de inclusión del vicepresidente en el círculo más interno del poder, donde figuraba como el sunní más influyente, luego de las salidas de Jaddam y de los ministros de Defensa, general Mustafa Tlass, e Interior, Muhammad Harba. En mayo de 2011, con la brutal represión del capítulo local de la Primavera Árabe en curso, Shara fue uno de los 23 jerifaltes del régimen castigados por la Unión Europea con sanciones financieras. Su identificación con la estrategia dura del presidente y su hermano menor, Maher - el temido comandante de la Guardia Republicana y de la Cuarta División Acorazada del Ejército- , fue puesta en entredicho tras desaparecer misteriosamente de la vida pública en julio de 2012, justo después del atentado con bomba en Damasco que descabezó a la cúpula de seguridad. Aquella explosión terrorista liquidó al ministro de Defensa, general, Dawoud Rajiha, al ex jefe de la Inteligencia Militar y cuñado de los Assad, general Assef Shawqat, al general al frente de la célula de crisis y ex ministro de Defensa, Hassan Turkmani, y al director de la Oficina Nacional de Seguridad, Hisham Bejityar. El brazo militar de la coalición rebelde, el Ejército Sirio Libre (ESL), aventó los rumores de que Shara estaba bajo arresto domiciliario, o bien se disponía a desertar, o que incluso, poniéndose a buen recaudo en Jordania, ya lo había hecho, siguiendo así los pasos del general Manaf Tlass y del primer ministro Riyad Farid Hijab, cuyas defecciones abonaron la falsa sensación de que el régimen estaba cuarteándose. A finales de agosto, sin embargo, Shara reapareció con normalidad con motivo de una recepción a una delegación iraní, echando por tierra tales especulaciones. Con todo, el vicepresidente asumió un papel de dirigente abierto al diálogo que quería un compromiso político para acabar con el masivo derramamiento de sangre. Esta postura visible dio credibilidad a la hipótesis, manejada por medios diplomáticos, de que desde el comienzo del conflicto había intentado servir, sin éxito, como apaciguador y moderador. Así, en diciembre de 2012, entrevistado por un periódico libanés, Shara instó a los rebeldes a firmar un "pacto histórico" con el Gobierno para dar paso a un Ejecutivo de unidad nacional. A su entender, ni las tropas oficiales ni las de los alzados "podían ponerle un término militar a la batalla". En julio de 2013 su mandato en el Mando Regional del Baaz expiró y no fue renovado. (Texto actualizado hasta 1/1/2013) http://www.cidob.org 3 of 3.
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