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.

Contents

[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

v • d • e
FARC-EP
Organization
Secretariat
Alfonso Cano (Commander in Chief) • Mono Jojoy • Timoleón Jiménez • Iván Márquez • Joaquín Gómez • Mauricio Jaramillo • Pablo Catatumbo
(Substitutes in line: Bertulfo Álvarez • Pastor Alape)
Other notable personnel
Manuel Marulanda Vélez (founder) (dead) • Jacobo Arenas (Founder) (dead) • Simón Trinidad (captured) • Raúl Reyes (KIA) • Efraín Guzmán (dead) • Iván Ríos (KIA) • Sonia (captured) • Tomás Medina Caracas (KIA) • Martín Caballero (KIA) • Rodrigo Granda • Ivan Vargas (captured) • Fabián Ramírez • Carlos Antonio Lozada • Marcos Calarcá • Andrés Paris • Karina (surrendered) • Romaña
Characteristics
v • d • e
Colombian Armed Conflict

Participants in Colombian armed conflict

Timeline

Key aspects

• Banana Massacre (1928)
• La Violencia (1948-1958)
• Marquetalia Republic
• The National Front
• Dominican embassy (1980)
• Palace of Justice (1985)
• Patriotic Union Party extermination
• Humanitarian exchange
• Mapiripán Massacre (1997)
• Peace process (1999-2002)
• Bojayá massacre (2002)
• Valle del Cauca Deputies
hostage crisis (2002-Present)
• El Nogal Club bombing (2003)
• Parapolitics scandal (2006–7)
• Operation Emmanuel
• Andean diplomatic crisis (2008)
 Lawsuits 

• Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola (2001)
• Rodriquez v. Drummond (2003)
• Doe v. Chiquita (2007)

 Kidnappings 

• Kidnappings in Colombia
• List of political hostages held by FARC

 Illegal drug trade 

• Illegal drug trade in Colombia
• War on Drugs
• Narcoterrorism

 Government aspects 

• Democratic security
• Plan Colombia
• Plan Patriota
• U.S.-Colombia relations
• Human rights in Colombia
• Politics of Colombia
Guerrillas
 Government of Colombia Paramilitaries


• Águilas Negras

Former paramilitaries
• AUC
• AAA

Linked to
• Spearhead Ltd
• Colombian drug cartels
• CONVIVIR
• Some Colombian
military personnel
• Some politicians
 Colombian armed conflict at Wiktionary  Colombian armed conflict at Wikibooks      Colombian armed conflict at Wikiquote
 Colombian armed conflict at Wikisource       Colombian armed conflict at Commons  Colombian armed conflict at Wikinews  

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ US Department of State. "Noe Suarez Rojas" Available online. Accessed January 23, 2008.
  2. ^ US Department of State. "Victor Julio Suarez Rojas" Available online. Accessed January 23, 2008.
  3. ^ US Department of State. "Luis Antonio Lozada" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  4. ^ El Tiempo. "Ejército atacó campamento de Carlos Antonio Lozada" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  5. ^ US Department of State. "Henry Castellanos Garzon" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  6. ^ Las voces del secuestro. "El poder del guerrillero que entregó al niño Emmanuel" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  7. ^ El Tiempo. "Capturada alias 'Doris Adriana', del primer frente de las Farc, anunció el comandante del Ejército" Available online. Accessed February 2, 2008.
  8. ^ Colombia Support. "Colombian Rebels Confess To Killing 3 Americans" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  9. ^ El Tiempo. "'Raúl Reyes' admitió que el 'Negro Acacio', jefe del frente 16 de las Farc, está muerto" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  10. ^ V Crisis. "Colombia pide en extradición a guerrillero en Venezuela" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  11. ^ El Mundo. "Detienen en Colombia a 'Hugo', el 'zar del secuestro' en las FARC" Available online. Accessed January 24, 2008.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ (Spanish) Caracol Radio: Médico de las Farc capturado dice que es muy delicada la salud de Ingrid Betancur
  14. ^ (Spanish) El Tiempo: CTI capturó al médico del secretariado de las Farc
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