Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 - Foreign Terrorist Organizations: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

aka FARC; Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia

Description: Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is Latin America's oldest, largest, most violent, and best-equipped terrorist organization. The FARC began in the early 1960s as an outgrowth of the Liberal Party-based peasant self-defense leagues, but took on Marxist ideology. Today, it only nominally fights in support of Marxist goals, and is heavily involved in illicit narcotics production and trafficking. The FARC has been responsible for large numbers of kidnappings for ransom in Colombia, and in past years has allegedly held as many as 700 hostages. The FARC's capacity has been degraded by a continuing Colombian military offensive targeting key FARC units and leaders that has, by most estimates, halved the FARC's numbers – estimated at approximately 8,000 in 2013 – and succeeded in capturing or killing a number of FARC senior and mid-level commanders. In August 2012, the Colombian President announced that exploratory peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC were underway. The formal talks began in Norway and then moved to Cuba, where they continued in 2014. These talks are the first such peace negations in over a decade and the fourth effort in the last 30 years. Although the government and the FARC reached a tentative partial agreement on three of the five agreed upon points, no overall peace agreement was concluded by the end of 2014,

Activities: Over the years, the FARC has perpetrated a large number of high profile terrorist acts, including the 1999 murder of three U.S. missionaries working in Colombia, and multiple kidnappings and assassinations of Colombian government officials and civilians. In July 2008, the Colombian military made a dramatic rescue of 15 high-value FARC hostages including U.S. Department of Defense contractors Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howe, who were held in captivity for more than five years, along with former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

In 2014, the FARC focused on launching mortars at police stations or the military, placing explosive devices near roads or paths, and using snipers attacks, and ambushes. In 2014, FARC attacks on infrastructure, particularly on oil pipeline and energy towers, decreased. Security forces and government buildings were the most common terrorist targets, although civilian casualties occurred throughout the year.

Although FARC attacks decreased in 2014, the group committed a number of significant attacks. On March 15, the FARC killed two policemen in Tumaco, Nariño, after kidnapping and torturing them. In the run-up to the August presidential elections, the FARC increased terrorist attacks throughout the country. A FARC attack on a transmission tower in Buenaventura left 400,000 people without power. Three soldiers died when they detonated land mines laid by the FARC in Norte de Santander. A FARC attempt to attack a military base in Miranda, Cauca with grenades killed a four-year-old girl and wounded two others. FARC attacks in Meta left 70 oil wells without power and 16,000 people without potable water. On September 16, the FARC attacked a police patrol in Tierradentro, Córdoba, killing seven police and injuring five others. On November 5, the FARC killed two indigenous leaders near the southwestern municipality of Toribio for taking down a sign honoring a late FARC leader. On November 16, the FARC kidnapped a Brigadier General and two companions near Quibdo, Choco. Several days earlier, the FARC kidnapped two soldiers in Arauca. On November 22, the FARC launched an amphibious attack on Gorgona Island, in the Pacific Ocean, killing the island's police commander and injuring six police officers.

Strength: Approximately 8,000 to 9,000 members, with several thousand additional supporters.

Location/Area of Operation: Primarily in Colombia; however, FARC leaders and combatants have been known to use neighboring countries for weapons sourcing and logistical planning. The FARC often use Colombia's border areas with Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador for incursions into Colombia; and used Venezuelan and Ecuadorian territory for safe haven.

Funding and External Aid: The FARC is primarily funded by extortion, ransoms from kidnapping, and the international drug trade.

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