Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP
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The Eastern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia is considered by many to be the strongest military faction of the guerrilla group. It is divided into groups of 50-400 combatants which patrol and control different areas of Colombia's Eastern and Central-Eastern territory, as well as helping to carry out the murders, extortion, and kidnapping necessary to advance the organization's financial and political goals. The specific divisions of the group are arguable. Because of the current conflict existing in the country, much of the information recovered is conflicting and should not be taken as absolutely reliable. Some of the believed divisions or 'fronts', as they are commonly called, are shown below. It is worth noting that 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.
[edit] Commanders
This group of commanders is sometimes called the "EMBO" (Estado Mayor del Bloque Oriental). The United States Department of Justice and the Government of Colombia offer rewards for all of them.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Germán Briceño Suárez, "Grannobles" | Noé Suárez Rojas [1] | |
| Jorge Briceño Suárez, "Mono Jojoy" | Víctor Julio Suárez Rojas [2] | Commander of FARC's Military Wing |
| Carlos Antonio Lozada [3] | Injured by a Colombian army attack in August 2007. [4] | |
| "Romaña" | Henry Castellanos Garón [5] |
[edit] 1st Front
Also known as the Armando Ríos Front, it is composed of up to 400 people. It operates mostly in the Guaviare Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| César | Gerardo Antonio Aguilar [6] | |
| Doris Adriana | Luz Dary Conde | Arrested in 2008. [7] |
[edit] 7th Front
Also known as the Jacobo Prías Alape Front, it is composed of up to 200 people. It operates mostly in the Meta Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Willington | Carlos Julio Vargas Medina |
[edit] 10th Front
Also known as the Guadalupe Salcedo Front, it is composed of up to 200 people. It operates mostly in the Arauca Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "El Marrano" | Carlos Julio Ávila | Accused of executing three Americans in 1999. [8] |
[edit] 16th Front
Also known as the Jose A. Paez Front, it is composed of up to 300 people. It operates mostly in the Vichada Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "El Negro Acacio" | Tomás Medina Caracas | Killed in 2007. [9] |
| Gentil Alvis Patiño, "El Chigüiro" | Juan José Martínez Vega | Captured in Venezuela in 2005. [10] |
[edit] 22nd Front
Also known as the Simón Bolívar Front, it is composed of up to 120 people. It operates mostly in the Cundinamarca Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hugo | Wílmer Antonio Marín Cano | Captured in 2003. [11] |
[edit] 26th Front
Also known as the Hermogenes Maza Front, it is composed of up to 130 people. It operates mostly in the Meta Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hugo Sandóval Ruiz | Ángel Oviedo Yara | Killed in 2007. [12] |
| Hermidas | Wálter Flórez Candil | Captured in 2004. |
[edit] 27th Front
It is composed of up to 200 people and operates mostly in the Meta Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Efrén | Luis Eduardo López Méndez | |
| "Jhon 40" | Gener García Molina | |
| "El médico" or "el tío" | Elver Uriel Rodriguez | Captured on March 27, 2008[13][14] |
[edit] 28th Front
Also known as the José María Córdoba Front, it is composed of up to 120 people. It operates mostly in the Casanare Department and the Boyacá Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Julián Arévalo | Aristipo Aponte Alvarado | |
| Alberto Guevara | José Nelson Garzón | Captured in 2003. |
[edit] 31st Front
This front was composed by up to 120 combatants and operated mostly in the Meta Department. However, it has not been notably active since its head, Duván Alberto Cartagena, was captured.
[edit] 38th Front
Also known as the Ciro Trujillo Castaño Front, it is composed of up to 100 people. It operates mostly in the Casanare Department and the Boyacá Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Efraín Méndez | ||
| Yaír | Félix Antonio Lara Cifuentes | Captured in 2004. |
[edit] 39th Front
Also known as the Joaquin Ballen Front, it is composed of up to 120 people. It operates mostly in the Vichada Department. Its current leadership is unclear.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "Jacinto", "El Danto" | Killed in 2003. |
[edit] 40th Front
Also known as the Jacobo Arenas Front, it is composed of up to 350 people. It operates mostly in the Meta Department. Its current leadership is unclear after a government offensive captured its two highest ranking militants.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "El Flaco Iván" | Rodrigo Alberto Salazar Montoya | Captured in 2005. |
| Chucho | Gilberto de Jesús Jaramillo Arias | Captured in 2005. |
[edit] 42nd Front
Also known as the Combatientes de Cundinamarca Front, it is composed of up to 110 people. It operates mostly in the Cundinamarca Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Geovany Rodríguez | Ernesto Orjuela Tovar | |
| "El Campesino" | José Nerup Reyes Peña | Killed in 2007. |
| "Serrucho" | Pedro León García | Captured in 2003. |
[edit] 43rd Front
It is composed of up to 150 people and operates mostly in the Meta Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "Jhon 40" | Gener García Molina | |
| Efrén | Luis Eduardo López Méndez |
[edit] 44th Front
Also known as the Antonio Ricaurte Front, it is composed of up to 120 people. It operates mostly in the Meta Department. Its current leadership is unclear.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Albeiro Córdoba | Élmer Mata Caviedes | Killed in 2005. |
[edit] 45th Front
Also known as the Atanasio Girardot Front, it is composed of up to 150 people. It operates mostly in the Norte de Santander Department and Boyacá Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Gutierrez | Luis Eduardo Marín | |
| "Che" | Jesús María Piedrahita | Killed in 2005. |
[edit] 51st Front
Also known as the Jaime Pardo Leal Front, it was composed of up to 80 people. It operated mostly in the Cundinamarca Department, but has not been active in recent times.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "Hermides", "El Quemado" | José Parménides Castro | Captured in 2002. |
[edit] 52nd Front
Also known as the Juan de la Cruz Front, it is composed of up to 120 people. It operates mostly in the Cundinamarca Department and the Boyacá Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "El Zarco" | Manuel Sierra | Also commands 53rd Front. |
| Arcesio Angarilla | Killed in 2004. |
[edit] 53rd Front
Also known as the Jose A. Anzoategui Front, it is composed of up to 120 people. It operates mostly in the Meta Department and the Cundinamarca Department.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| "El Zarco" | Manuel Sierra | Also commands 52nd Front. |
| "Romaña" | Henry Castellanos Garzón | Commander of Eastern Bloc. |
| Eliécer | Bertulfo García | Captured in 2005. |
[edit] 54th Front
Also known as the Angel Bonilla, it was composed of up to 50 militants. It operated mostly in the Cundinamarca Department, but is believed to have been terminated.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Flaminio Gómez | Jesús Vargas Gamboa | Killed in 2002. |
| Silverio | Salvador Vargas León | Killed in 2003. |
[edit] 55th Front
Also known as the Teófilo Forero Front, it is believed to be composed of up to 70 militants although its urban numbers could be much greater. It operates mostly in the Cundinamarca Department and is considered the FARC's base in Bogotá. It is considered responsible for much of the terrorist activity that occurs in and around the capital.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Robles | Julio Enrique Rincón Rico | |
| Rubén | Armando Barbosa Tovar |
[edit] 56th Front
It is composed by up to 80 people and operates mostly in the Casanare Department and the Boyacá Department. Its current leadership is unclear.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jerónimo Aljure | Jorge Eliécer Jiménez Martínez | Captured in 2004. |
[edit] Antonio Nariño Front
It is composed by up to 50 individuals and seeks to operate in Bogotá.
| Alias | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chucho | Marbel Zamora |
[edit] Columns and Companies
The following columns and companies also form part of the Eastern Bloc:
- Mobile Column Alfonso Castellanos: Faction of the 10th front, composed by up to 120 members. Operates in the Arauca Department.
- Mobile Column Juan José Rondón: It is composed by up to 250 members and operates mostly in the Guaviare Department. Its last known leader, Octavio Salamanca, alias "Urias Cuéllar", was killed in 2001.
- Special Forces: It is composed by up to 80 men and operates in what used to be the demilitarized zone.
- Company Reinel Méndez: It is composed by up to 80 men and operates in what used to be the demilitarized zone.
- Company Esteban Ramírez: It is composed by up to 80 men and operates in what used to be the demilitarized zone.
- Company Manuela Beltrán: It is composed by up to 50 men and operates in the Cundinamarca Department.
- Company Abelardo Romero: It is composed by up to 40 men and operates in the Cundinamarca Department.
- Company Joaquín Ballén: It is composed by up to 140 men and operates in the Cundinamarca Department.
- Company Che Guevara: Faction of the Eastern and Caribbean Blocs, composed by up to 120 members. Operates in what used to be the demilitarized zone.
[edit] See also
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[edit] Notes
- ^ US Department of State. "Noe Suarez Rojas" Available online. Accessed January 23, 2008.
- ^ US Department of State. "Victor Julio Suarez Rojas" Available online. Accessed January 23, 2008.
- ^ US Department of State. "Luis Antonio Lozada" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ El Tiempo. "Ejército atacó campamento de Carlos Antonio Lozada" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ US Department of State. "Henry Castellanos Garzon" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ Las voces del secuestro. "El poder del guerrillero que entregó al niño Emmanuel" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ El Tiempo. "Capturada alias 'Doris Adriana', del primer frente de las Farc, anunció el comandante del Ejército" Available online. Accessed February 2, 2008.
- ^ Colombia Support. "Colombian Rebels Confess To Killing 3 Americans" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ El Tiempo. "'Raúl Reyes' admitió que el 'Negro Acacio', jefe del frente 16 de las Farc, está muerto" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ V Crisis. "Colombia pide en extradición a guerrillero en Venezuela" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ El Mundo. "Detienen en Colombia a 'Hugo', el 'zar del secuestro' en las FARC" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ Comando General Fuerzas Militares de Colombia. "Muere en combate autor material del secuestro del ex gobernador del Meta Alan Jara" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
- ^ (Spanish) Caracol Radio: Médico de las Farc capturado dice que es muy delicada la salud de Ingrid Betancur
- ^ (Spanish) El Tiempo: CTI capturó al médico del secretariado de las Farc
