MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian FARC groups operating inside Brazilian territory, claim reports

Brazil is a lucrative market for Colombian drugs

The Colombian guerrilla force FARC has “permanent bases in Brazil”, according to secret Federal Police reports, extracts of which were published Sunday by the prestigious O Estado de Sao Paulo.

According to the intelligence documents from the Brazilian federal police the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, have been long established in the Brazilian jungle to collect money from the sale of drugs and for the provision of equipments and chemicals that are smuggled into Colombia along the porous border area.

The guerrilla apparently sells drugs to organized crime in Brazil and sends back to Colombia cash, military hardware, fuel and chemicals used for the refining of cocaine.

The originally Marxist oriented FARC guerrillas, fighting the Colombian government for over four decades, are said now to have a “strategic” alliance with the powerful drug cartels, exchanging protection for drugs.

The intelligence report is based on evidence from several Colombian top drug distributors captured and sent to jail in Brazil and who allegedly are also members of the FARC organization.

Colombian Jose Samuel Sánchez was arrested with other Colombians and Brazilians, involved in a vast cocaine trafficking network and were in direct contact with the FARC for drugs, arms and logistic support.

According to Estado de Sao Paulo Sanchez operated from Manaos in the Amazon from where he was in permanent contact with FARC three times a day, making use of sophisticated communications system.

“FARC are operating on the Brazilian side of the border away from the permanent pressure from the Colombian army and to avoid armed clashes, since the guerrilla movement has been loosing ground in Colombia”, according to the intelligence reports quoted in the Brazilian press.