NAME: National Liberation Army (ELN)—Colombia
DATE STARTED/FIRST ACTIVE: 1965.
GOALS: Replacing the current government with a Marxist regime.
MAIN ANTI-U.S. ACTIVITIES TO DATE: Conducted a campaign of mass kidnappings during the late 1990s, each of which involved at least one U.S. citizen.
STRENGTH: Approximately 3,000 to 6,000 armed combatants and an unknown number of active supporters.
OPERATIONAL LOCATIONS: Rural and mountainous areas of north, northeast, and southwest Colombia and Venezuela border regions.
AFFILIATIONS: Cuba provides some medical care and political consultation.
COMMENTS: Marxist insurgent group formed by urban intellectuals inspired by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. A Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listed as "active" during 2000.
DATE STARTED/FIRST ACTIVE: 1965.
GOALS: Replacing the current government with a Marxist regime.
MAIN ANTI-U.S. ACTIVITIES TO DATE: Conducted a campaign of mass kidnappings during the late 1990s, each of which involved at least one U.S. citizen.
STRENGTH: Approximately 3,000 to 6,000 armed combatants and an unknown number of active supporters.
OPERATIONAL LOCATIONS: Rural and mountainous areas of north, northeast, and southwest Colombia and Venezuela border regions.
AFFILIATIONS: Cuba provides some medical care and political consultation.
COMMENTS: Marxist insurgent group formed by urban intellectuals inspired by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. A Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listed as "active" during 2000.