Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

588 • REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA-PEOPLE’S ARMYpolitical status quo. It should be noted that since most theories ofrevolution attempt to explain political and social movements thatencompass a significant portion, if not the majority, of the people ofa nation-state or colony, whereas terrorist activities and insurgencyusually involve smaller groups, theories of revolution do not satisfactorilyaddress the phenomenon of terrorism.Throughout this dictionary, groups are described as having revolutionarygoals even if their aim is secession or independence for a nationalisthomeland rather than the political transformation of the entiresociety or economic-social order. In the case of the Irish RepublicanArmy (IRA), its goals included the unification of the northern andsouthern counties of Ireland and total separation of a united Irelandfrom Great Britain. The IRA’s intention to destroy the legitimacy of theNorthern Irish government and force the unification of Northern Irelandwith the Republic of Ireland would force the British to acquiesce in theredefinition of the British state as well. Similarly, the transformationof an authoritarian and bureaucratic Iranian state under the shah to atheocratic state under the rule of Shi’ite clergymen must also be countedas a revolution even if such a transformation does not meet historicistexpectations of some linear scheme of tentative progress. There is noa priori reason to designate only leftist groups as being revolutionarywhile designating all rightist groups as counterrevolutionary. See alsoALIENATION; RELATIVE DEPRIVATION THEORY.REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA-PEOPLE’S ARMY (FARC, or FARC-EP). The Fuerzas ArmadasRevolucionarias de Colombia–Ejército del Pueblo, is a nonstate guerrillagroup dedicated to creating a Marxist-Leninist revolution in Colombia.FARC is considered to be the best equipped, best trained andmost effective guerrilla group in South America. Its headquarters arenow believed to be in the vicinity of the town of San Vicente de Caguá,located in Meta Department. The main FARC-controlled region lies insouth-central Colombia consisting of the eastern portions of Meta andGuaviare departments as well as Caquéta, Vaupes, and Putumayo departments.In the northwest region bordering Panama, FARC controlsmuch of Chocó, Córdoba, Sucre, and Antioquia departments. Anotherzone controlled by FARC is along Venezuela’s southern frontier withColombia in Arauca and Vichada departments. FARC has been able tostrike at targets throughout Colombia even outside these regions.