Colombian Revolutionary forces

In Columbia there are five main purveyors of violence, the FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, People’s Army), the ELN (Army of National Liberation), the AUC (United Farmer Self Defense Group), the Columbian National Army, and the Narco Mafias. The FARC-EP is perhaps the most dominant, and violent of all the groups. The FARC-EP controls a zone roughly the size of Switzerland in the Southern part of Columbia. The FARC-EP considers the zone to be “A laboratory of peace (1),” while many, consider it to be a “zone of fear (2).” The FARC-EP kidnapped over 700 people in their zone in 2000 (2), these people, for the most part are the people that the FARC-EP is supposedly fighting to free. The ELN is also involved in many kidnappings and civilian killings, not to mention drug trafficking. The AUC, which was originally formed to combat guerilla movements, has almost became a guerilla movement in and of itself, “…the government calculates the AUC now kills more civilians than the main guerrilla army it was founded to combat (3).” The AUC works hand in hand with the Columbian National Army, something for which the Columbian National Army has come under fire for in recent months. The Narco Mafias, though they are extreme perpetrators of many violent episodes in Colombia, lack a political agenda, and are only concerned with the production and transport of narcotics. Can any of these violent groups be considered as terrorists? According to the FBI, terrorism is “the unlawful ...