Manuel Marulanda
Early Life
Manuel Marulanda, born as Pedro Antonio Marín Marín on May 12, 1930, hailed from a peasant family in the coffee-growing region of Quindío, Colombia. His early life was marked by poverty and hardship, which shaped his political beliefs and led him to join the Communist Party at a young age.
Political Awakening
Marulanda's political awakening occurred during the period known as "La Violencia" (The Violence), a decade-long civil war that erupted in Colombia in 1948 following the assassination of popular liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. This period of political unrest and violence greatly influenced Marulanda's political ideology and his commitment to the cause of the rural poor.
Revolutionary Activities
In the early 1950s, Marulanda and other Communist Party members formed self-defense groups to protect rural communities from the violence. These groups eventually evolved into the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), with Marulanda becoming one of its founding members in 1964. He adopted the nom de guerre "Manuel Marulanda Vélez" in honor of a union leader who was murdered by government forces.
Leadership of FARC
Marulanda assumed leadership of FARC in 1966 and held this position until his death in 2008. Under his leadership, FARC grew from a small guerrilla group into the largest and most powerful rebel organization in Latin America. Marulanda's leadership style was marked by a combination of military strategy, political ideology, and a deep understanding of the rural poor's plight.
Death and Legacy
Marulanda died on March 26, 2008, of a heart attack. His death marked the end of an era for FARC and the beginning of a new phase in Colombia's ongoing struggle for peace. Despite his controversial legacy, Marulanda remains a significant figure in Colombia's history, embodying the country's deep-seated social and political conflicts.