Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos warned dissident members of the FARC’s 1st Front that they have two options: demobilize, or end up either in prison or six feet underground.
The dissident 1st Front is one of the guerrillas’ “Mother Fronts” that was founded decades ago and is currently active in the provinces of Vaupes and Guaviare.
The unit consists of between 60 and 400 men and is most famous for being the front that held three American military contractors and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt hostage for years.
Earlier this week, the guerrilla’s iconic units released a pamphlet in Guaviare in which they announced not to take part in a pending peace process.
FARC’s 1st Front
According to the dissident guerrillas, “the Colombian state and its allies only seek the disarmament and the demobilization of the guerrillas … They want to continue governing with the same economic model” the national FARC organization seeks to fight without arms and from Congress.
The 1st Front’s refusal to take part in the FARC’s pending demobilization and disarmament is a major blow for FARC leader Timochenko, who earlier this year claimed 99% of FARC fighters will obey orders to demobilize.
FARC leader says 99% of guerrillas will demobilize after peace deal
However, the refusal is not new. As reported by this website in November last year, locals from Guaviare said that the FARC’s 1st front had made it known that they will not take part in a peace process.
Why not all FARC guerrillas will demobilize if peace in Colombia is reached
Until now, no other unit has openly disobeyed the order of FARC leader “Timochenko,” who earlier this week called on all guerrilla forces to end extortion.
FARC chief ‘ordered troops’ to end extortion practices in Colombia
The front, led by “Kokorico,” is one of the guerrillas’ main moneymakers, controlling one of the country’s largest coca cultivation areas. It also exercises control over parts of the trafficking routes to Venezuela and Brazil.
By not demobilizing, the group would keep the income of the local drug trade, this time without having to send contributions to the higher echelons of the guerrilla organization.