The Colombian Communist Party, the FARC and the Problem of Armed Struggle in the 1980s
In the history of Latin American radical left movements in the second half of the twentieth century, one of the key themes is the importance of armed struggle as an instrument of revolutionary activity. The 1980s became an important stage in their development,when many rebel groups embarked on the path of legalization. The article examines the experience of Colombia, which experiencedthe slow formation of a pluralistic political system during this period. The object of the study is the relationship of the ColombianCommunist Party (Partido Comunista Colombiano, PCC) with the rebel movements, primarily the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–the Army of the People (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo, FARC–EP). It is noted thatthe commitment to the principle of "combining all forms of struggle" has led to the preservation of close ties with the FARC, despitethe distancing of the two organizations from each other in terms of governance and goals. In the 1980s. The PCC intensified its efforts to strengthen cooperation with broad strata of the left, including with the aim of creating electoral associations, which ensuredthe emergence in 1985. The Patriotic Union (Unión Patriótica, UP). This association was intended to serve as a channel for the FARCto enter political life. The issue of the truce between the FARC and the government, as well as the relationship to other rebelmovements, has become an important subject of internal debate in the PCC ranks against the background of the large-scale terrorunleashed against the UP and the problem of democratizing the Communist Party. In conclusion, it is concluded that the slowideological evolution of the PCC has become one of the reasons for the difficulties in ending the armed conflict in Colombia.
References
Алапе А. По прозвищу «Снайпер». Партизаны Колумбии, FARC, ELN, эскадроны смерти и все остальные. М.: Родина, 2024. Alape A. Po prozvishhe «Snajper». Partizany Kolumbii, FARC, ELN, jeskadrony smerti i vse ostal'nye. Moskva: Rodina, 2024 [Alias Tirofijo. The Colombian Guerrillas, FARC, ELN, Death Squads and the Rest].
Богданов К.В. Реконфигурация левых сил в Колумбии в XXI веке // Латинская Америка. 2022. № 10. С. 45–53. Bogdanov K.V. Rekonfiguracija levyh sil v Kolumbii v XXI veke // Latinskaja Amerika. 2022. № 10. S. 45–53 [The Reconfiguration of the Colombian Left in the 21st Century].
Богданов К.В. СССР–Колумбия: межпартийное измерение отношений // Латиноамериканский исторический альманах. 2023. № 40. С. 137–155. Bogdanov K.V. SSSR–Kolumbija: mezhpartijnoe izmerenie otnoshenij // Latinoamerikanskij istoricheskij al'manah. 2023. No. 40. S. 137–155 [USSR–Colombia: the Inter-Party Dimension of Relations].
Виейра Х. Наш путь к демократии // Проблемы мира и социализма. 1981. № 4. С. 25–29. Vieira G. Nash put' k demokratii // Problemy mira i socializma. 1981. No. 4. S. 25–29. [Our road to Demopcracy].
Виейра Х. На повестке дня–демократизация // Проблемы мира и социализма. 1986. № 5. С. 20–33. Vieira G. Na povestke dnja – demokratizacija // Problemy mira i soсializma. 1986. No. 5. S. 30–35 [On the Agenda–Democratization].
Жучкова Г.Е. Теория и практика маоистских, троцкистских и ультралевых вооруженных организаций в Колумбии. М.: ИЛА АН СССР, 1981. Zhuchkova G.E. Teorija i praktika maoistskih, trockistskih i ul'tralevyh vooruzhennyh organizacij v Kolumbii. Moskva: Institute for Latin American Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1981 [The Theory and Praxis of the Maoists, Trotskyists and Far-Left Armed Organizations in Colombia].
Зубрицкий Ю.А. (отв. ред.) Колумбия: тенденции социально-экономического и политического развития. М.: Наука, 1986. Kolumbija: tendencii social'no-jekonomicheskogo i politicheskogo razvitija / Zubrickij Ju.A. (ed.) Moskva: Nauka, 1986 [Colombia: the Trends of Socioeconomic and Political Development].
Ивановский З.В. Колумбия: государство и гражданское общество. Опыт экономических и политических реформ в условиях нестабильности. М.: ИЛА РАН, 1997. Iwanowskij Z.W. Kolumbija: gosudarstvo i grazhdanskoe obshhestvo. Opyt jekonomicheskih i politicheskih reform v uslovijah nestabil'nosti. Moskva: ILA RAN, 1997 [Colombia: the State and Civil Society. The Experience of Economic and Political Reforms amidst Instability].
Ивановский З.В. Ультралевые организации в Колумбии на современном этапе // Латинская Америка: научно-информационный бюллетень. № 87. М.: АН СССР, 1983. С. 5–41. Iwanowskij Z.V. Ul'tralevye organizacii v Kolumbii na sovremennom jetape // Latinskaja Amerika: nauchno-informacionnyj bjulleten'. № 87. Moskva: Institute for Latin American Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences, S. 5–41 [The Current State of the Far-Left Armed Organizations in Colombia].
Кудачкин М.Ф. (отв. ред.). Великий Октябрь и коммунистические партии Латинской Америки. М.: Наука, 1978. VelikijOktjabr' i kommunisticheskie partii Latinskoj Ameriki / ed. M.F. Kudachkin. Moskva: Nauka, 1978 [The Great October and the Communist Parties of Latin America].
Манухин А.А. Содействие выходу из внутреннего вооруженного конфликта и постконфликтному развитию на примере отношений Колумбии и США (часть 1) // Вестник Московского университета. Серия 25: Мировая политика и международные отношения. 2019. № 4. С. 137–171. Manukhin A.A. Sodejstvie vyhodu iz vnutrennego vooruzhennogo konflikta i postkonfliktnomu razvitiju na primere otnoshenij Kolumbii i SShA (chast' 1) // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Serija 25: Mirovaja politika i mezhdunarodnye otnoshenija. 2019. No. 4. S. 137–171 [Promoting Internal Armed Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: the Case of U.S. –Colombia Relations (part 1)].
Чумакова М.Л. Колумбийская драма: разлом общества, эскалация террора, поиски мира. М.: ИЛА РАН, 2002. Chumakova M.L. Kolumbijskaja drama: razlom obshhestva, jeskalacija terrora, poiski mira. Moskva: ILA RAN, 2002. [The Colombian Drama: the Breach of the Society, Escalation of Terror, Search for Peace].
Хейфец В.Л. Наследники «Виоленсии»: эволюция FARC в 1990-е гг. // Латиноамериканский исторический альманах. 2019. № 21. С. 274–287. Kheifets V.L. Nasledniki «Violensii»: jevoljucija FARC v 1990-e gg. // Latinoamerikanskij istoricheskij al'manah. 2019. No. 21. S. 274–287 [The Heirs of La Violencia: FARC’s Evolution in the 1990s].
Щелчков А.А., Ивановский З.В. (отв. ред.). История Колумбии с древнейших времен до начала XXI века / М.: ИВИ РАН, 2022. A.A. Schelchkov, Z.W. Iwanowski (ed.). Istorija Kolumbii s drevnejshih vremen do nachala XXI veka. Moskva: IVI RAN, 2022 [The History of Colombia from the Ancient Times to Early 21st Century].
Щелчков А.А. Чилийская революция и СССР. Взгляд на Сальвадора Альенде из кабинетов ЦК КПСС // Новая и новейшая история. 2023. № 6. С. 151–164. Shhelchkov A.A. Chilijskaja revoljucija i SSSR. Vzgljad na Sal'vadora Al'ende iz kabinetovCK KPSS // Novaja i novejshaja istorija. 2023. No. 6. S. 151–164 [The Chilean Revolution and the USSR. A Look at Salvador Allende from the CPSU Offices].
Allison M.E. The Transition from Armed Opposition to Electoral Opposition in Central America // Latin American Politics and Society. 2006. Vol. 48. No. 4. P. 137–162.
Arenas J. Cese al fuego: una historia política de las FARC. Bogotá: Oveja Negra, 1985.
Almond G., Coleman J.S. (ed.). The Politics of the Developing Areas. Princeton: University press, 1960.
Bogdanov K. La izquierda colombiana en la prensa comunista internacional (1950–1990) // Revista Izquierdas. 2022. Núm. 51. URL: https://www.izquierdas.cl/images/pdf/2022/51/art91.pdf (accessed: 20.11.2024).
Bolaños Martínez A. Carlos Pizarro Leongómez: del guerrillero al candidato presidencial. Tesis doctoral. Barcelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2014. URL: https://repositori.upf.edu/items/b6e0af33-305d-47c7-803e-7d4bb12bfbc8 (accessed: 23.11.2024).
Campos Zornosa Y. El Baile Rojo. Relatos no contados del genocidio de la UP. Bogotá: Ícono, 2014.
Cepeda F., Findley R., Gamboa N. La intervención presidencial en la economía y El estado de decrecho en Colombia. Bogotá: Universidad de los Andes, CIDER, 1984.
Cepeda M. The Quite War in Colombia // World Marxist Review. 1987. No. 5. P. 106–112.
Chilcote R.H. Post-Marxism: the Retreat from Class in Latin America // Latin American Perspectives. 1990. Vol. 17. No. 2. P. 3–24.
Contreras J. FARC–EP: Insurgencia, terrorismo y narcotráfico en Colombia. Memoria y discurso. Madrid: Editorial Dickinson, 2018.
Cook Th.R. The Financial Arm of the FARC: A Threat Finance Perspective // The Journal of Strategic Security. 2011. Vol. 4. No. 1. P. 19–36.
Cruz Rodríguez E. Estrategias de negociación con la insurgencia armada en Colombia (1982 – 2014) // Imaginar la paz en Colombia: cavilaciones desde la academia / ed. S.N. Cogollo Ospina. Medellín: Funlam, 2015. URL: https://editorial.ucatolicaluisamigo.edu.co/index.php/editorial/catalog/book/86 (accessed: 23.11.2024).
Delgado A. Todo tiempo pasado fue peor. Bogotá: La Carreta Editores, 2007.
Duque Daza J. Los partidos políticos colombianos 1974-2006: subinstitucionalización de los partidos tradicionales y emergencia de organizaciones políticas alternativas // CLASCO: Informes. 2007. URL: https://biblioteca.clacso.edu.ar/clacso/becas/20190809051812/duque.pdf (accessed: 21.11.2024).
Duque Daza J. El Partido Comunista Colombiano en el Post Frente Nacional // Estudios políticos. 2012. Vol. 41. P. 124–148.
Dyrck Ch., van. DDR and SSR in War-to-Peace Transition. Geneva: Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces, 2016.
FARC–EP. Documentos rectores. 31 años de lucha por la paz, democracia y soberañia. Por la convivencia y la democracia. Documentos del Secretariado y el Estado Mayor Central. Montañas de Colombia, 1995.
Gómez-Suárez A. Genocide, Geopolitics and Transnational Networks. Contextualizing the destruction of the Unión Patriótica of Colombia. London and New York: Routledge, 2015.
Guatibonza D.M.D. La relación entre la Unión Patriótica y el Partido Comunista de Colombia entre 1987 y 1990 // Humanitas Hodie. 2021. Vol. 4. No. 2. P. 1–21.
Harnecker M. Colombia: combinación de todas las formas de lucha. Bogotá: Ediciones Suramerica, 1988.
Harnecker M. Colombia: entrevista con la nueva izquierda. La Habana: Biblioteca Popular, 1989.
Hernández Mora Y. La Unión Patriótica: memorias para la paz y la democracia // Panorama. 2016. Vol. 18. No. 10. P. 27–38.
Jimeno R. Tenga... ¡Esta es Colombia! Entrevista a Jaime Bateman. Lima: Producciones H.L., 1984.
Krujt D., Rey Tristán E., Álvarez M. (ed.). Latin American Guerrilla Movements: Origins, Evolutions, Outcomes. N.Y.: Routledge, 2019.
Lee Ch. The FARC and the Colombian Left: Time for a Political Solution? // Latin American Perspectives. 2012. Vol. 39. No. 1. P. 28–42.
Moreno Trujillo E.E. Entre la Contradicción y la Resignificación: El Partido Comunista Colombiano frente a la perestroika (1985–1992) // La Silla Vacía. 2011. Vol. 4. No. 2.
P. 1–18.
Partido Comunista Colombiano (PCC). Congresos XI–XIII. Bogotá: PCC, 1971, 1974, 1980.
Peláez Acevedo T. (ed.). Guerrilla y población civil. Trayectoria de las FARC, 1949–2013. Bogotá: Centro de Memoria Histórica, 2014.
Peláez Acevedo T. (ed.) Todo pasó frente a nuestros ojos. El genocidio de la Unión
Patriótica, 1984–2002. Bogotá: Centro de Memoria Histórica, 2018.
Peña Сhivata C. (ed.) Fenomenología y transformación del discurso de las FARC para la estrategia y el poder. Bogotá: Estado Mayor de las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia, 2017.
Rozema R. Urban DDR-Processes: Paramilitaries and Criminal Networks in Medellin, Colombia // Journal of Latin American Studies. 2008. Vol. 40. No. 3. P. 423–452.
Schonfeld W.R. Political Parties: the Functional Approach and the Structural Alternative // Comparative Politics. 1983. Vol. 15. No. 4. P. 477–499.
Shugart M.S. Guerrillas and Elections: An Institutionalist Perspective on the Costs of Conflict and Competition // International Studies Quarterly. 1992. Vol. 36. No. 2. P. 121–151.
Trejos L.F., González Arana R. El Partido Comunista Colombiano y la combinación de todas las formas de lucha. Entre la simpatía inernacional y las tensiones locales, 1961–1981 // Revista Izquierdas. 2013. Núm. 17. URL: https://www.izquierdas.cl/images/pdf/2013/11/Trejos-3.pdf (accessed: 21.11.2024).