Colombia’s FARC guerrillas have been ranked third on a list produced by Forbes Israel on the world’s richest “terrorist” groups, with the Islamic State (ISIS) and Hamas taking the top two spots, according to international media.
Forbes Israel estimated the FARC’s annual revenue to be approximately $600 million, while Hamas brings in $1 billion yearly and ISIS – which now controls oil fields in Iraq and Syria – earns twice that.
According to the publication, the FARC’s principal sources of revenue are drug trafficking, kidnapping, piracy, illegal mining, and war taxes/fees on civilians, El Tiempo reported Wednesday.
PROFILE: FARC
The October-November issue of the magazine estimated that the FARC control about 30% of Colombian territory, principally in the southern jungles of the South American nation.
Other groups on the list include the Lebanese group known as Hezbollah, the Taliban of Afghanistan, and Al Qaeda, according to the International Business Times.
The FARC have been in peace talks with the Colombian government since 2012 to bring an end to the 50-year conflict.
A preliminary agreement on illicit drugs has already been reached, the full text of which was published in September of this year.
MORE: Colombia’s peace deals in depth: Illicit drugs
Sources
- Forbes Israel: ISIS is World’s Richest Terrorist Organisation in History (International Business Times)
- Farc es el quinto grupo terrorista más rico del mundo: Forbes Israel (El Tiempo)
- FARC: 3 (Forbes Israel – Hebrew)