¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!

¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo! (AVC) (English: Alfaro Lives, Dammit!), another name for the Fuerzas Armadas Populares Eloy Alfaro (English: Eloy Alfaro Popular Armed Forces), was a clandestine left-wing group in Ecuador, founded in 1982 and named after popular government leader and general Eloy Alfaro.^[1]

History

AVC first received national attention in 1983, when it broke into a museum and stole swords which had been used by Eloy Alfaro. Some of the group's leaders were thought to be affiliated with Cuba, Libya and Nicaragua, and the group itself was linked to militant groups from other Latin-American countries, such as the M-19^[2] and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. From 1986-1987, AVC carried out several kidnappings, robbed banks and a factory, took over a number of radio stations in order to broadcast their manifesto, and killed four police officers while retrieving a group member from police custody.^[2]

In response to this activity, the government began carrying out raids against the group. By 1987, a large number of AVC's leaders and members had either been killed or arrested.^[2] In 1989, the government of Ecuador reached an agreement with AVC, with the group agreeing to end its violence.^[1][2] In 1991, the group officially reformed as a legitimate political party. One year later, eight group members made an illegal, but non-violent entry into the British Embassy in Quito, demanding the release of a group leader who was then imprisoned by the Ecuadorian government.

In popular culture

The group is the subject of a 2007 documentary film titled ¡Alfaro vive carajo! Del Sueño Al Caos.^[3][4]

The post-hardcore rock group At The Drive-In has an EP named ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!

Notes

References

• "Annual Report Of The Inter-American Commission On Human Rights 1988-1989: Resolution No 14/89 Case 9641 Ecuador April 12, 1989". Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. 
• "Alfaro Vive Carajo rechaza uso de nombre en video". www.hoy.com.ec. 2007-08-11.