FARC Linked to Governments of Colombia and Venezuela

By Christopher Gehrke
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia – A former guerrilla reported yesterday that members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Colombia’s largest rebel group, have been able to freely move within Venezuela.  He stated that even he himself was responsible for receiving guerrillas into Venezuela from Colombia. 

Victor Antonio Leones, the former rebel, told Caracol Radio that FARC leaders ‘Mono Jojoy,’ Ivan Marquez, and Martin Caballero had camps in Venezuela that sheltered nearly 200 guerilla fighters.  The Venezuelan army knew about the camps and allowed them, said Antonio Leones.  FARC even received ammunition and uniforms with ‘Made in Venezuela’ on them, he continued.

(Photo:  FARC flag, Colombia Reports)

This news comes as documents and e-mails link FARC leaders with members of the government of both Colombia and Venezuela.

The documents suggest ties between FARC leader Alfonso Cano, Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ administration.  According to El Espectador, which obtained the documents, the senator and Chavez’ administration are part of a 14-point FARC plan to fight Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s successful security policy.

The three-page document detailed the need for Cordoba, a senator with the Liberal Party, to seek an alliance with the Bolivarian Movement (Chavez’ administration) after forming a broad “people’s party.”  After becoming “helpful friends of President Chavez,” the report continued to describe how they would be able to pressure the Colombian government politically.

Former minister and presidential candidate Alvaro Leyva has been called for questioning Friday about his supposed ties to FARC.  Authorities have uncovered e-mail conversations between Leyva and now-deceased FARC leader Raul Reyes.

The Colombian magazine Semana reported Friday that 46 people killed in Bogota, Soacha, and the coffee region of Colombia were not killed by FARC, as authorities claimed.  It is now believed that they were killed by the Colombian army.  The 46 were found in a mass grave 500 miles from their homes, and were registered as being killed in combat by the armed forces just one or two days after they disappeared.  According to Colombia Reports, this is too soon to be enrolled in a rebel group and killed in combat.  Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said that he would investigate the deaths.

For more information, please see:

Colombia Reports – “FARC traveled freely inside Venezuela” – 27 September 2008

Colombia Reports – New mails link Chavez and Cordoba to FARC – 28 September 2008

El Espectador – La nueva estrategia de ‘Cano’ – 27 September 2008

Colombia Reports – Former Minister called for questioning about FARC politics – 26 September 2008

Colombia Reports – Colombian Army possibly responsible for kidnapping and murdering missing people – 26 September 2008

Semana – Ya son 46 los jovenes desaparecidos que fueron reportados como muertos en combate – 26 September 2008