Southern Bloc of the FARC-EP

The Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia was the first bloc 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 bloc operates in much of the area that borders with Ecuador and Peru, with some supposed incursions into foreign territory. The government suspects that many FARC leaders may be hiding in the jungles protected by the South Bloc.

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 cannot be taken as absolutely reliable. 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.

Commanders

AliasNameNote
Joaquín Gómez, "Usuriaga"Milton de Jesús Toncel Redondo
"Fabián Ramírez"José Benito Cabrera Cuevas
"Sonia"Anayibe RojasCaptured and extradited in 2004.
Jairo Martinez4th in command of this bloc[1]

2nd Front

Also known as the Isaías Pardo Front, up to 120 militants form it. It operates mostly in the Nariño Department and the Caquetá Department.

AliasNameNote
Ovidio MatallanaBladimir Ballén Garzón

3rd Front (dismantled)

Up to 100 militants form this front that operates mostly in the Caquetá Department and the Huila Department. Its current leadership is unclear.

AliasNameNote
"Montoya"Hernando MedinaKilled in 2005.

13th Front

Up to 150 militants form this front that operates mostly in the Caquetá Department and the Huila Department.

AliasNameNote
"Caballo"Alexánder Duque

14th Front

Up to 250 militants form this front that operates mostly in the Caquetá Department. It is considered one of the most important fronts of the Southern Bloc.

AliasNameNote
Fabián RamírezJosé Benito Cabrero CuevasCommander of the Southern Bloc.
FaiberCaptured in 2005.

15th Front

Also known as the José Ignacio Mora Front, around 300 militants and 2,000 non-combatants form it.[2] It operates mostly in the Caquetá Department. The group is considered responsible for Íngrid Betancourt´s kidnapping. In March 2012, the group was held responsible for taking a French journalist, Roméo Langlois, as an hostage during an attack in which 4 Colombian soldiers were killed. Langlois was released a month later.[3][4][5]

AliasNameNote
WilmerFront commander
"El Mocho César", "César Arroyabe"Josué CeballosKilled in 2002.
AdielaDemobilized in August 2010.[6]
"La Flaca"Demobilized on October 26, 2010.[7]
"Colacho"Second in charge of this front. Killed in April 2011.[8]
"Diomédez" or "Diomedes"He participated in the kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt in 2002. Killed in April 2011.[9]

32nd Front

Up to 170 militants form this front that operates mostly in the Putumayo Department and the Caquetá Department.

AliasNameNote
"Robledo"Humberto Caballero Cortés
Arley LealRegulo LealCaptured in 2007.

48th Front

Also known as the Antonio José de Sucre, up to 450 militants form it. It operates mostly in the Putumayo Department. The group is very active in the border with Ecuador and was suspected of sheltering Raúl Reyes before his death in a Colombian cross border raid on 01 March 2008.

On September 19, 2010, the National Police reported the death of more than 20 guerrilla combatants from this front.[10][11][12][13]

On November 15, 2010, 17 body of suspected FARC members were recovered after Colombia Forces carried out a bombing in FARC 48th front.[14] Two suspected member were children, probably kidnapped by FARC: 12-year-old Jimmy Lee, a Colombian refugee in Ecuador, and 15-year-old Doris Carolina Cadena Benarcazar, an Ecuadorian citizen from Carchi Province.[15] Ecuador denounces the recruitment of Ecuadorean minors into the ranks of Colombia's FARC guerrilla group.[16]

AliasNameNote
RobledoFront commander[17]
"Danilo"Fabio Ramírez ArtunduagaCaptured in Ecuador on June 27, 2011.[18][19]
"Édgar Tovar"Ángel Gabriel LozadaKilled in 2010
"Uriel"Nelson Yaguará MéndezCaptured in Ecuador in 2005.
"Eliseo"Demobilized in April 2010.
"Saúl"Demobilized in July 2010.[20]
"Domingo Biojó"Sixto Antonio Cabaña GuillénKilled in 2010 among the deaths reported by the Police on 2010.09.19.[21]
"Lucero","Lucero Palmera"María Victoria HinojosaKilled in 2010 among the deaths reported by the Police on 2010.09.19.[22]
"John Freddy Pitufo"Killed in 2010 among the deaths reported by the Police on 2010.09.19.[23]
"Caballo"Killed in 2010 among the deaths reported by the Police on 2010.09.19.[24]
"Segundo Cuéllar"Killed in 2010 among the deaths reported by the Police on 2010.09.19.[25]
"Oliver Solarte"Killed on March 14, 2011, during Operation "Marte" (Mars)[26][27]
"Julián Conrado", "El cantante"Guillermo Enrique Torres CueterCaptured in Venezuela on Monday May 30, 2011.[28][29][30]
"Euclides"Killed in September 2011.[31][32]
"Marihuano"Jhon Erlinton Pianda DovicamoExplosive expert, captured on April 27, 2012.[33]
"El mexicano"Justo Galindo ReinaFormer member of 32nd and 49th front, captured on April 27, 2012.[34]

49th Front

Around 50 to 100 militants form this front that operates in the Cauca and Caquetá Departments.

AliasNameNote
El MojosoWilson Peña MajeFront commander
PonchoDemobilized in August 2010.[35]
"Rubín Castañeda"Héctor Alirio Quintero RíosCaptured on September 2, 2011.[36]

61st Front

Also known as the Timanco Front, up to 70 militants form it. It operates mostly in the Huila Department.

AliasNameNote
"Águila Negra"Bercelio CastroArrested in 2007.
"Franklin"
"El Flaco"

Mobile Column Teófilo Forero

As of 2013, at least 220[37] specialized militants form this powerful group that operates mostly in the Huila Department and the Caquetá Department, with much urban activity around the country.

AliasNameNote
"El Paisa"Óscar Montero
"Diván"Second in command.[38]
"Genaro"KIA in 2008.
"Genaro"Luis González or Genaro Corredor PinzónCaptured on Thursday April 21, 2011.[39][40]
"Tropezón" or "Edgar"Junior Lozano UrreaDeputy of alias "Genaro" (captured in 2011/04/21). Killed in April 2011.[41]
"Jecko"Captured on Thursday April 21, 2011.[42]
"La Marrana"Captured on Thursday April 21, 2011.[43]
"Yerbas"Humberto Valbuena MoralesCaptured in 2006.
"Ledis"; "woman of a thousand faces"Mónica EcheverryCaptured in May 2010.[44]
"Dilmer"Alfonso Solano RincónKilled on February 5, 2011.[45]
"Pedro"Herminsul Arellán BarajasCaptured in March 2011.[46]
"El ingeniero"Aldemar Soto CharryMain explosive expert of the Column Teófilo Forero. Captured in April 2011.[47]

Mobile Column Yesid Ortiz

According to the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, the Yesid Ortiz Mobile Column was created by fusing remnants of the Teofilo Forero Mobile Column, the 3rd and 14th fronts into a single group which were weakened by the Military of Colombia as part of the Plan Patriota. The main objective of this unit according to El Tiempo is to recover lost territory in the Department of Caqueta.[48]

Medical Commission

AliasNameNote
"Cristian" or "Doctor agujas"Heberto Sánchez TamayoPhysician. Coordinator of the care for the rebels in Southern and Eastern Blocs. Captured on September 24, 2011.[49]

See also

References

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  2. "Americas - FARC rebels say they are holding FRANCE 24 journalist". France 24. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  3. "'FARC' who captured French journalist wore civilian clothing: Military - Colombia News - Colombia Reports". Colombia News - Colombia Reports. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  4. "Se conocen identidades de militares y policías muertos y heridos en Caquetá". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  5. "BBC News - French reporter Romeo Langlois freed in Colombia by Farc rebels". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  6. Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
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  14. "Son 17 los guerrilleros abatidos por la Fuerza Aérea en Ipiales". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
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  19. "Capturado en Ecuador el jefe del frente 48 de las Farc". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  20. Micrositios Content Manager. "Contacto - Ejercito Nacional de Colombia". Ejrcito Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  21. "Alias "Domingo Biojó" fue abatido en operación contra las Farc en Putumayo". www.elcolombiano.com. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
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  23. "Murió alias 'Lucero', compañera sentimental de 'Simón Trinidad'". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
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  27. https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0316/breaking34_pf.html
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  30. "Welcome to Twitter - Login or Sign up". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  31. "Colombia: cuatro guerrilleros de FARC muertos en bombardeo cerca de Ecuador". Terra. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  32. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/09/15/2611257/colombia-cuatro-guerrilleros-de.html
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  34. "Noticias Cortas". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
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  38. "Un herido en ataque de las Farc a caravana de transporte de petróleo". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  39. El Pais S.A. "Capturado alias Genaro, segundo en la columna Teófilo Forero de las Farc". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
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  44. "FARC queen of disguise captured". Colombia News - Colombia Reports. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  45. http://www.ejercito.mil.co/?idcategoria=276641 Cayó experto en fabricación de morteros y granadas hechizas
  46. http://m.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/articulo-255039-capturan-al-autor-material-del-atentado-al-club-el-nogal Capturan autor del atentado al club El Nogal
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  48. (in Spanish) El Tiempo: Nuevo frente de las Farc pretende volver a ejercer dominio en Caquetá
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