The FARC, Colombia’s largest and longest living rebel group, operates throughout the country, primarily in the states bordering neighboring countries Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.
Betweet the 1980s and the end of last century, the FARC succeeded in gaining control of over one third of Colombia’s national territory, having fighters on the entry and exit routes of all major cities.
A US-supported military offensive drove the FARC away from the big cities and other economic centers. Since then, the FARC has mostly been active in its heartland in the south.
The map below shows the municipalities with reported FARC activity in 2012.
Colombia’s illegal armed groups’ areas of influence
FARC | ELN | Urabeños | Rastrojos | Aguilas Negras | Libertadores de Vichada | Bloque Meta | Machos | Paisas
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