The Colombian Prosecutor's Office declared that the former guerrilla group owned 6250 million dollars. Where is the money?

An investigation by the Attorney General's Office (Colombia) determined that between 1995 and 2015, the dismantled guerrilla of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), monopolized 6.25 billion dollars, about 19 billion pesos of the local currency. The report was delivered to the Special Justice for Peace (Jep) and the Truth Commission.

Leer en español: Colombia: ¿En dónde está la plata de las Farc?

Although the criminal activity of this guerrilla can be traced back to the end of the 60s, its economic power was derived from the introduction of drug trafficking within the armed conflict in Colombia. By dedicating themselves to distributing narcotics and opening transit routes for these, FARC was able to finance their armed struggle.

Among other actions that this guerrilla carried out to obtain financing, there is kidnapping, extortion, illegal mining and assault, but none of these activities can approach the contribution that drug trafficking could have made to FARC.

According to the Prosecutor's Office report, the guerrillas laundered their money through multiple businesses from agricultural and animal farms to small shops and billiards, including 577,000 hectares of land. It was also found that they owned properties mainly in Central America, in countries such as Panama, Cuba, and Mexico.

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It should be noted that this information was recovered from computers of dead leaders in combat such as "Alfonso Cano" and "Mono Jojoy" and others still active in the dissident groups of Farc such as "Gentil Duarte" and "Jhon 40". In spite of this, the data were not obtained exhaustively, since it only covers a period of 20 years of conflict, considering this guerrilla has been committing crimes since the 60s. The figure could be colossal if records were found before 1995.

What does this mean for the implementation of the peace process?

According to the newspaper El Colombiano, FARC has contributed only 4 pesos out of every 100 that corresponds to them so far for the reparation of victims of the armed conflict. Thus, the former guerrilla is not complying with one of its fundamental commitments agreed upon in Havana. Although almost every aspect of the implementation of the peace agreements is delayed or lacks guarantees, that FARC is unable to deliver the resources to repair victims only contributes more to the loss of prestige of its image.

These 6,250 million dollars are not even able to cover the amount that arc promised to pay the victims. After the signing of the agreement, the former guerrilla promised to give an approximate 963.241 million dollars, so that what is found by the prosecution only amounts to 0.64% of what they owe.

LatinAmerican Post | Iván Parada Hernández
Translated from “Colombia: ¿Qué pasó con la plata de las Farc?”

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