both civilian women and female combatants have been sexually exploited or victimized by all of the different parties involved in the Colombian armed conflict.[245] In the case of FARC, it has been reported that young female recruits have been sexually abused by veteran guerrilla soldiers and in several cases pregnancies were interrupted against their will by FARC doctors.[245][246][247][248]
Organization and structure[edit]
See also: Military structure of the FARC-EP
FARC-EP remains the largest and oldest insurgent group in the Americas. According to the Colombian government, FARC-EP had an estimated 6,000–8,000 members in 2008, down from 16,000 in 2001, having lost much of their fighting force since President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002.[249] Political analyst and former guerrilla León Valencia has estimated that FARC's numbers have been reduced to around 11,000 from their 18,000 peak but cautions against considering the group a defeated force.[250] In 2007 FARC-EP Commander Raúl Reyes claimed that their force consisted of 18,000 guerrillas.[251]
From 1999 to 2008, the FARC-EP, together with the ELN guerrilla group, was estimated to control up to 40% of the territory in Colombia.[252] The largest concentrations of FARC-EP guerrillas are located throughout the southeastern parts of Colombia's 500,000 square kilometers (190,000 sq mi) of jungle and in the plains at the base of the Andean mountains.[253]
FARC's organized hierarchically into military units as follows:[254][255]
Alfonso Cano, former FARC Commander-in-Chief, was killed by Colombian military forces on 4 November 2011
Central High Command – composed of a five-member Secretariat (one of them being the, Commander-in-Chief) and two "supplements". Coordinates the activities of the individual blocks, and determines overall strategy of FARC-EP.[254]
Estado Mayor Central – 25 members, who also coordinate activities of blocks[256]
Block – 5+ Fronts, with each block corresponding to one of Colombia's geographical regions: south, central, east, west, Middle Magdalena, Caribbean, and Cesar.[256]
Front – 1+ Columns. Within each Front, there are combat, support, and infrastructure elements.
Column – 2+ Companies
Organization and structure[edit]
See also: Military structure of the FARC-EP
FARC-EP remains the largest and oldest insurgent group in the Americas. According to the Colombian government, FARC-EP had an estimated 6,000–8,000 members in 2008, down from 16,000 in 2001, having lost much of their fighting force since President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002.[249] Political analyst and former guerrilla León Valencia has estimated that FARC's numbers have been reduced to around 11,000 from their 18,000 peak but cautions against considering the group a defeated force.[250] In 2007 FARC-EP Commander Raúl Reyes claimed that their force consisted of 18,000 guerrillas.[251]
From 1999 to 2008, the FARC-EP, together with the ELN guerrilla group, was estimated to control up to 40% of the territory in Colombia.[252] The largest concentrations of FARC-EP guerrillas are located throughout the southeastern parts of Colombia's 500,000 square kilometers (190,000 sq mi) of jungle and in the plains at the base of the Andean mountains.[253]
FARC's organized hierarchically into military units as follows:[254][255]
Alfonso Cano, former FARC Commander-in-Chief, was killed by Colombian military forces on 4 November 2011
Central High Command – composed of a five-member Secretariat (one of them being the, Commander-in-Chief) and two "supplements". Coordinates the activities of the individual blocks, and determines overall strategy of FARC-EP.[254]
Estado Mayor Central – 25 members, who also coordinate activities of blocks[256]
Block – 5+ Fronts, with each block corresponding to one of Colombia's geographical regions: south, central, east, west, Middle Magdalena, Caribbean, and Cesar.[256]
Front – 1+ Columns. Within each Front, there are combat, support, and infrastructure elements.
Column – 2+ Companies
