FARC Threat Assessment: History, Goals, and Operations

Introduction and Background

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — known by its Spanish acronym FARC — is South America's oldest, largest, and most capable Marxist-oriented insurgent organization. The group traces its origins to the political violence of the 1950s, when clashes between liberal and conservative militias plunged Colombia into a devastating civil war. The assassination of Liberal Party leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán by representatives of the conservative government ignited a prolonged conflict between the two political factions. The resulting civil wars caused the deaths of more than 200,000 Colombians and gave rise to numerous guerrilla groups. One of those groups, led by Manuel Marulanda, broke from the Liberals in 1966 and evolved into the Marxist-oriented FARC. (FARC History)

Goals and Objectives

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, grounded in Marxist-Socialist ideology, has engaged in a sustained campaign of intimidation and violence against the Colombian state (Canham, 2002). The FARC declared a policy known as "Law 002," which mandated that any individual with assets exceeding $1 million must pay "war taxes" or face kidnapping. (Colombia's Civil War: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC))

Political Goals

The FARC's primary political objective is to overthrow the Colombian government and ruling class in order to establish a communist-agrarian state. (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, www.ict.org.il) Unlike the ELN, the FARC did not draw its direct inspiration from Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro or the Soviet Union. Instead, FARC's philosophy was rooted in a strongly nationalist and anti-capitalist tradition grounded in early progressive thought. (Colombia's Civil War: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC))

Religious Goals

The FARC does not appear to hold specific religious goals. On the contrary, the group's targeting of religious leaders suggests an antagonism toward organized religion. (Colombia's Civil War: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC))

Relation to the United States

From its inception, the FARC has opposed the U.S. government. (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, www.ict.org.il) The group believes the Colombian government has effectively surrendered to U.S. interests in pursuit of a form of colonial dominance over the country. (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), www.military.com/Resources/)

History and Significant Terrorist Events

In March 1999, the FARC abducted three U.S. advocates for Indigenous rights in Colombia and subsequently killed them on Venezuelan territory. (Terrorist Group Profiles, 2003) In mid-2001, the FARC's violent operations included the kidnapping and assassination of Consuelo Araujonoguera, a prominent former Minister of Culture and wife of Attorney General Edgardo Maya. Guerrilla fighters also abducted Alán Jara, a former governor, while he was traveling in a United Nations vehicle, as well as three German aid workers.

In 2002, the FARC hijacked a Colombian aircraft and seized passenger Senator Jorge Gechem Turbay — the fifth congressman the group had kidnapped since June 2001. FARC's intensification of violence followed the assassination of a leading Unión Patriótica (UP) presidential candidate, an event that convinced many within the UP that armed struggle was the only viable path to political power. (Colombia's Civil War: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC))

In 2003, the FARC carried out several sophisticated attacks, including a February car bombing of a Bogotá nightclub that killed more than 30 people and injured over 160, and a November grenade attack in Bogotá's restaurant district that wounded three Americans. (Terrorist Group Profiles, 2003)