Western Bloc of the FARC-EP

Last updated

The Western Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia was the smallest of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia's (FARC) blocs in size, although not in military capability. It was often held responsible for attacks that occurred in Cali and the surrounding area. The specific divisions of the group are arguable. Some of its divisions or fronts, as they were commonly known as, are shown below. Many of these fronts worked together at times towards a certain mission, while others were further divided into columns and companies with a smaller number of members. For more general information, see FARC-EP Chain of Command.

Contents

Commanders

Alias NameNote
Marco Aurelio BuendíaLuis Alfonso Guevara ÁlvarezKilled in 2003. [1]
Pablo Catatumbo Jorge Torres Victoria [2]
Gustavo López Gómez, "Pacho Chino"Miller Munar Munar [3]

6th Front

The 6th Front was also known as the Hernando González Acosta Front. It was composed of 400 to 500 people as of 2011. [4] It operated mostly in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca Departments.

AliasNameNote
Sargento Pascuas, "Humberto"Miguel Ángel Pascuas [5] One of the founders of the guerrilla in 1964, Front commander.
RubénOperational commander [6]
El ZorroOscar Ivan GuguOne of the 'leaders' of FARC's 6th Front. Captured in January 2012. [7]

On September 19, 2008, heavy fighting occurred between the Colombian Army and the FARC's sixth front during an attack on Toribío, Cauca Department. On April 27, 2013, 17 members of the front were captured while they attempted to steal a helicopter from the Colombian Armed Forces. [8]

Mobile Column Alonso Cortés

The Mobile Column Alonso Cortés, composed of up to 50 men, operated in the same area as the 6th Front.

AliasNameNote
El MochoRicardo MoralesSecond in charge of the Mobile Column Alonso Cortés. Arrested in February 2011 [9] [10]
"El Paisa" or "William"Carlos Mario Cardona LeónCaptured in April 2011. [11]

8th Front

The 8th Front was composed by up to 80 men and operated mostly in the Cauca Department and along the Pacific coast.

AliasNameNote
RamírezN/AKilled in 2006, apparently by ELN. [12]
YesidArlex Porras GómezCaptured in 2006. [13]
"El Rojo"Captured in 2003. [14]

29th Front

The 29th Front was composed of up to 250 men and operated mostly in the Nariño Department. It included the mobile column Daniel Aldana, which operated in the Tumaco area. In late April 2013, 13 alleged members of the column were captured. [15]

AliasNameNote
Aldemar, Jhon Jairo [16]
AnuarOrlando CardozoCaptured in 2005. [17]
Camilo, RicardoJairo Cuarán CollazosAbandoned FARC in 2003 and found exile in Chile. [18]

30th Front

Also known as the José Antonio Páez Front, the 30th Front was composed of up to 300 people. It operated mostly in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca Departments. The front led drug trafficking activities in the areas near the Yurumanguí River, and it was responsible for multiple attacks against civilians on Colombia's Pacific coast. [19] [ unbalanced opinion? ] In March 2011, 10 guerillas were killed by the army and 5 others were captured. On October 2, 2011, 3 guerillas were killed and 2 were captured. [19] On February 11, the 30th front attacked an army base, killing 3 and injuring 18 members of the Colombian army. [20]

AliasNameNote
MinchoJorge Neftali Umenza Velasco, or Herminsul de Jesús Velasco1st commander. [21] Killed in a bombardment in October 20, 2011 [22] [23]
JeffersonJaime Renteria MosqueraCommander of a special unit of the 30th Front. Demobilized in December 2011 with 9 others guerrillas of the 30th Front [24]
FreddyLuis Eduardo Prada González [25]

Mobile column Miller Perdomo forms a part of this front. [26]

60th Front

The 60th Front was composed of up to 60 men and operated mostly in the Cauca Department.

AliasNameNote
"El Grillo"Gilberto Arroyabe [27]
"Arturo"N/AKilled in 2006. [28]

Mobile Column Jacobo Arenas

The Mobile Column Jacobo Arenas was composed of up to 300 men and operated mostly in the Cauca Department. The column is suspected of an attack which killed six soldiers on February 9, 2009. [29]

AliasNameNote
Caliche, Floresmiro AcostaCarlos Patiño killed in 2013 [30]
'Eladio'Killed in 2009 [31]
KinkónCarlos Duval Ilipio DizúCaptured in 2006. [32]

Mobile Column Arturo Ruiz

The Mobile Column Arturo Ruiz was one of the FARC's elite units, among its most notorious operations is the kidnapping of the Valle del Cauca deputies on April 11, 2002. [33] [34]

AliasNameNote
ArleyYurgen Villamizar [35] Captured in 2010 [35]

Mobile Column Gabriel Galvis

The Mobile Column Gabriel Galvis operated in Valle del Cauca. It had 110 fighters or more as of 2011. [36]

Mobile Column Víctor Saavedra

The Mobile Column Víctor Saavedra operates in Valle del Cauca and, especially, in the mountains east of Tuluá. [37]

Urban Front Manuel Cepeda Vargas

The Urban Front Manuel Cepeda Vargas was composed by up to 50 men and was one of the FARC's strongest factions in Cali.

AliasNameNote
El EnanoChief of militias in Cali [38]
NaricesIván Cárdenas Carrillo [39] Killed in 2010 [40]
SantiagoGustavo Arbeláez CardonaArrested in 2008. [41]
J.J.Milton Sierra GómezKilled in 2007. [42]
Farid, RafaelGabriel Antonio CarvajalCaptured in 2005. [43]
"Miller Chacón" or "El Médico"KIA in May 2011. [44] [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartago, Valle del Cauca</span> Municipality and city in Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia

Cartago is a city in southwestern Colombia, about 187 miles (301 km) west of Bogotá. It is in the extreme northern portion of the Valle del Cauca. It is located very close to the city of Pereira, Risaralda about a 20-minute drive. It is the sixth largest city in Valle after Cali, Palmira, Buenaventura, Tuluá and Jamundí. Per the 2018 Colombian census, Cartago's population was 142,902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cali</span> District and city in Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Santiago de Cali, or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,280,522 residents estimate by DANE in 2023. The city spans 560.3 km2 (216.3 sq mi) with 120.9 km2 (46.7 sq mi) of urban area, making Cali the second-largest city in the country by area and the third most populous after Bogotá and Medellín. As the only major Colombian city with access to the Pacific Coast, Cali is the main urban and economic center in the south of the country, and has one of Colombia's fastest-growing economies. The city was founded on 25 July 1536 by the Spanish explorer Sebastián de Belalcázar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Army of Colombia</span> Military unit

The National Army of Colombia is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, and is the second largest army in the Americas after the United States and before Brazil.

The Eastern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, from September 2010 known as Bloque Comandante Jorge Briceño, in honour of the slain guerrilla leader, was considered to be the strongest military faction of the guerrilla group. It was divided into groups of 50–400 combatants in each group, which patrolled and controlled different areas of Colombia's Eastern and Central-Eastern territory, as well as helped to carry out the killings, taxation, and arrests necessary to advance the organization's financial and political goals.

The Southern Bloc of the FARC-EP was the first bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to exist and is where the roots of the guerrilla movement lie. The bloc has been held responsible for several notorious attacks, including the infamous "donkey-bomb", numerous attacks against military bases, as well as Íngrid Betancourt´s kidnapping. It was also blamed by government investigators and prosecutors for the bombing of the El Nogal club. FARC itself denied that any of its members were responsible for the attack.

The Central Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operated strategically in the Andes Mountains, around the middle of Colombia. The group was considered as the largest threat to Bogotá and its economy, as it operated in areas surrounding the capital. Strong military action in the 2000s, however, forced the bloc to hide in remote parts of the mountains, away from many highways and cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raúl Reyes</span> Colombian guerilla (1948–2008)

Luis Edgar Devia Silva, better known by his nom de guerreRaúl Reyes, was a leader, Secretariat member, spokesperson, and advisor to the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People's Army (FARC–EP). He died during an attack by the Colombian army 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) within Ecuador, sparking the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis involving Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.

The Middle Magdalena Bloc of the FARC-EP was a FARC-EP bloc, notable for its involvement in the conflict with the AUC until the latter's demobilization in 2004. After that, it became one of the Colombian army's biggest worries as FARC started once again to gain control over the territory.

The Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP was a medium-sized FARC-EP bloc which operated in the northern areas of Colombia and along the Caribbean coast, with routes and access to the coast being strategically important, and was thus sometimes referred to as the Northern Bloc. At the end of the 1990s the group had much control over the rural areas connecting the urban centers of the Caribbean region, but in the 2000s was forced to retreat into the more inhospitable Andes. The group's leaders have been held responsible for numerous kidnappings and killings along the entire Caribbean coast, including the urban centers Cartagena, Barranquilla, Valledupar and Santa Marta. This bloc was also the center of the high-profile kidnapping of Fernando Araújo, who recovered his freedom during a Colombian National Army offensive in early 2007.

The Northwestern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the Iván Ríos Bloc has historically been a strong influence in the Medellín and Antioquia regions, and still is today. It has been among the blocs most seriously targeted by former president Álvaro Uribe's defense plan and the Colombian Army's offensive. Due to this, the bloc has been forced to retreat to more remote areas of the countryside and has lost the dominance it once had in the area. The specific divisions of the group are arguable. Because of the current conflict existing in the country, much of the information recovered is conflicting. Some of the believed divisions or "fronts", as they are commonly called, are shown below. Many of these fronts sometimes work together towards a certain mission, while others are further divided into "columns" and "companies" with a smaller number of members. For more general information see FARC-EP Chain of Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis</span>

The Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis refers to the kidnapping of 12 Deputies of the Assembly of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, on April 12, 2002 by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to pressure a prisoner exchange between them and the government and to negotiate the demilitarization of the municipalities of Florida and Pradera to initiate peace dialogues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Colombian conflict</span>

This is a timeline of events related to the Colombian conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humanitarian exchange</span>

The Humanitarian Exchange or Humanitarian Accord referred to a possible accord to exchange hostages for prisoners between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group and the Government of Colombia.

The 3rd Division is a Colombian National Army division based in the city of Cali consisting of four brigades: the 3rd Brigade based in Cali, the 8th Brigade based in Armenia, the 23rd Brigade based in Pasto and the 29th Brigade based in Popayán. The division is also supported by the 3rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group based in Cali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pablo Catatumbo</span> Colombian politician

Pablo Catatumbo Torres Victoria is a Colombian politician. A former guerrilla leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), he was part of their secretariat, FARC's higher command. Catatumbo took command of several FARC fronts in Chocó and Valle del Cauca in the 1990s, after which they grew in size and became strong enough to fight the paramilitary group AUC in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Rastrojos</span> Defunct Colombian drug cartel

Los Rastrojos is a Colombian drug cartel and paramilitary group engaged in the Colombian armed conflict. The group was formed by Norte del Valle cartel capo Wilber Varela, alias "Jabon" and one of his right-hand men, "Diego Rastrojo", around 2004 when Varela fell out with fellow-capo Diego Leon Montoya, alias "Don Diego". The group became independent after the murder of its main founder in Venezuela in 2008 and at its height was one of the most important drug trafficking organizations in Colombia.

Monsignor Isaías Duarte Cancino was a Colombian Catholic priest, who from 1995 until the day of his death was archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cali.

Francisco Garnica Narváez was a Colombian political activist and youth leader.

References

  1. ↑ Presidencia de la República. "ABATIDO ALIAS 'MARCO AURELIO BUENDÍA' CABECILLA DEL COMANDO OCCIDENTE DE LAS FARC" October 31, 2003. Available online. Accessed May 23, 2007.
  2. ↑ Milenio. "Indagan a una nueva generación de narcos" October 17, 2006. Available online. Accessed May 23, 2007.
  3. ↑ Stratfor. "FARC" Available online. Accessed May 17, 2007. Requires login.
  4. ↑ El Pais S.A. "Violencia en el Cauca, herida que no cicatriza" . Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  5. ↑ ""Pascuas" es el azote del norte del Cauca". www.elcolombiano.com. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Golpe contra las Farc en el norte del Cauca". www.elcolombiano.com. November 4, 2011.
  7. ↑ "FARC ringleader captured by Colombian army". Colombia News - Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Capturan en Puerto Tejada a 17 miembros de las Farc". Vanguardia.com. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Capturan a alias 'El Mocho' del anillo de seguridad de 'Alfonso Cano'". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  10. ↑ "Capturado alias 'El Mocho', anillo de seguridad de 'Alfonso Cano'". Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  12. ↑ FARC-EP. "Comunicado del Bloque Caribe de las FARC" February, 2007. Available online. Accessed June 10, 2007.
  13. ↑ Policía Nacional de Colombia. "CAPTURADO EN CALI ARLEX PORRAS GÓMEZ, SEGUNDO CABECILLA Y JEFE MILITAR DEL OCTAVO FRENTE DE LA ORGANIZACIÓN ARMADA TERRORISTA" June 30, 2006. Available online [ dead link ]. Accessed May 23, 2007.
  14. ↑ Derechos Humanos de Colombia. "Bitácora de Prensa del 18 al 24 de febrero de 2003" February 23, 2003. Available online. Accessed May 23, 2007.
  15. ↑ "Golpe a la columna 'Daniel Aldana' de las Farc". Vanguardia.com. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  16. ↑ Canal RCN. "Enfrentamiento entre frentes 60 y 29 de las Farc originó asesinato de diputados." July 28, 2007. Available online. Accessed July 29, 2007.
  17. ↑ Ejército Nacional Colombiano. "Captured second Farc 29th squad commander" August 31, 2005. Available online. Accessed May 26, 2007. Translation from Spanish.
  18. ↑ Il Notiziario. "Chile otorgó residencia a jefe del Frente 29 de las Farc" November 29, 2004. Available online Archived 2007-07-26 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed May 26, 2007.
  19. 1 2 "FARC commander demobilizes along with 9 other guerrillas". Colombia News - Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  20. ↑ "FARC attack southwest Colombia army base; 3 killed, 18 injured". Colombia News - Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Colombian Police Seize High-Tech Drug Sub". Fox News Latino. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  22. ↑ Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  23. ↑ Juan Manuel Santos [@JuanManSantos] (October 20, 2011). "Felicitaciones a la Fuerza Pública y al Ministro de Defensa por el contundente golpe contra las FARC en el que fue abatido alias "Mincho"" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved July 19, 2021– via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "Comando especial del Frente 30 de las Farc se desmovilizó en Buenaventura". Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  25. ↑ Fiscalía General de la Nación. "ASEGURADO LUIS ALFREDO PRADA GONZÁLEZ POR REBELIÓN" July 24, 2002. Available online Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed May 26, 2007.
  26. ↑ "Dos militares muertos y cuatro heridos en enfrentamiento con las Farc". ElEspectador. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  27. ↑ La Patria. "Farc y Eln: guerra por la coca en el sur" Available online [ permanent dead link ]. Accessed May 26, 2007.
  28. ↑ Ejército Nacional de Colombia. "Cae máximo cabecilla del frente Tulio Varón de las FARC" December 23, 2006. Available online. Accessed May 26, 2007.
  29. ↑ "Six soldiers killed In FARC attack in Cauca". Colombia News - Colombia Reports. Retrieved 16 December 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  30. ↑ elterrosimo.net "FARC-EP" June 6, 2006. Available online Archived 2007-06-05 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed May 26, 2007.
  31. ↑ Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  32. ↑ Vicepresidencia de la República. "Bitácora del 19 al 25 de julio" July 25, 2006. Available online. Accessed May 26, 2007.
  33. ↑ "El Tiempo:Cronología del secuestro de los doce diputados del departamento del Valle del Cauca".
  34. ↑ Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  35. 1 2 "Capturan a presunto cabecilla de las Farc y a un miliciano del Eln en Norte de Santander". eltiempo.com. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  36. ↑ El Pais S.A. "Las Farc han multiplicado sus acciones en Pradera y Florida" . Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  37. ↑ El Pais S.A. "Un militar muerto y otro herido en atentado de las Farc en Tuluá" . Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  38. ↑ El Pais S.A. "Capturados tres presuntos guerrilleros de las Farc en el oriente de Cali" . Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  39. ↑ El Tiempo. "'Narices', comandante del frente 'Manuel Cepeda', de las Farc, sería responsable de atentado en Cali " September 2, 2008. Available online. Accessed September 2, 2008.
  40. ↑ "Abatido jefe de las Farc que participó en secuestro de los 12 diputados de Cali". eltiempo.com. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  41. ↑ El Tiempo. "Detienen a alias 'Santiago', presunto jefe del frente 'Manuel Cepeda' de las Farc en Buenaventura" May 8, 2008. Available online. Accessed May 8, 2008.
  42. ↑ El País. "Dado de baja 'J.J.', líder del frente Manuel Cepeda Vargas de las Farc." June 15, 2007. Available online. Accessed June 23, 2007.
  43. ↑ Ejército Nacional de Colombia. "Contundentes resultados del Ejército contra grupos terroristas" April 13, 2005. Available online. Accessed May 26, 2007.
  44. ↑ Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  45. ↑ "Comando General Fuerzas Militares de Colombia". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.