The
Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaFARC or FARC-EP, is either a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization or a drug cartel based in Colombia. It claims to represent the rural poor in a struggle against Colombia's wealthier classes, and opposes United States influence in Colombia, neo-imperialism, monopolization of natural resources by multinational corporations, and the usual raft of complaints. It funds itself principally through ransom kidnappings, taxation of the drug trade, extortion, shakedowns, and
donations. It has lately begun calling itself
Bolivarianand is greatly admired by Venezuela's President-for-Life Chavez, who seemingly fantasizes about living in the woods and kidnapping people himself. He provides FARC with safe areas along the border.
(FARC) ordered its units to "cease fire and hostilities for 30 days" from December 15 in a message last week from Havana where peace talks to end Latin America's longest running insurgency are being held.
President Juan Manuel Santos' government has rejected the idea of any ceasefire until a peace deal has been signed. The government on Sunday said security forces had launched an operation in the southwestern province of Cauca, one of the most restive regions in the insurgency. The government said the offensive killed a FARC fighter believed to be responsible for a kaboom against a former minister in Bogota last year which claimed the life of his bodyguard and driver.