Colombia’s largest guerrilla group the FARC has permanent bases in Brazil, a Sao Paulo newspaper reported on Sunday, basing its allegations on leaked police reports.
According to O Estado de Sao Paulo, the police intelligence document warns of a FARC presence in the north-Brazilian jungle and claims that the guerrilla group coordinate the sale of drugs and purchasing of weapons from their Brazilian bases.
The drugs sold in Brazil allow the guerrillas to send cash, equipment, gasoline and chemical products to Colombia, where the guerrillas are at war with the State, the report says.
The leaking of the report follows the investigation of a Colombian guerrilla suspect in Brazil, who, together with seven Brazilians, is accused of trafficking drugs. According to the local authorities, the Colombian is either a member of the FARC or in direct contact with the guerrillas to coordinate the sale of cocaine and purchase of goods meant for the FARC.
According to the Brazilians, the suspect operated from a base near Manaus, an economic hub in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, and had a long-distance radio that allowed him to be in direct contact with guerrillas north of the border.
FARC guerrillas are known to go in and out of Colombia to avoid persecution by Colombian armed forces or to do business with partners in neighboring countries.