The supreme commander of the FARC and the group’s chief negotiator at the peace talks in Havana, Cuba have both been sentenced in absentia to 40 years in prison Monday.
FARC leader “Timochenko,” and the organization’s chief peace negotiator “Ivan Marquez” and 20 other rebels were convicted for rebellion, terrorism and homicide for a 2003 FARC bomb explosion on a boat in central Colombia. The bomb killed four and injured 30.
PROFILE: Timochenko
PROFILE: Ivan Marquez
A judge in the city of Villavicencio, Meta convicted the two prominent rebels together with a number of other prominent rebel leaders, some of whom have been killed or arrested.
Convicted rebel commanders
- “Timochenko” (at large)
- “Ivan Marquez” (in Cuba)
- “Romaña” (at large)
- “Cesar” (arrested)
- “Dionisio Rayo” (arrested)
- “Jhon 40” (at large)
The boat bomb exploded while dozens of locals were crossing the Ariari river in the municipality of Puerto Rico, Meta.
Apart from being ordered to prison, the FARC commanders will have to pay almost $2 million in victim compensation.
The FARC is currently negotiating peace with the Colombian government in Cuba.