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Introduction
South America is not considered a major terrorist region globally. However, a few countries report significant domestic disturbances caused by insurgent groups seeking specific objectives. The groups have set bases in Colombia and Peru, carrying out terrorist activities through war, violence, and ideological impacts. Colombia is home to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) (Meernik & King, 2021). Terrorism in Peru is majorly carried out by the Sendero Luminoso or Shining Path (SL) and the Revolutionary Movement Túpac Amaru (MRTA) (Escalante, 2021). Terrorist organizations were founded to achieve political and ideological objectives using guerilla warfare and radicalization. Terrorist activities in both countries have been characterized by massive loss of life, disappearances, and displacement. Individual countries have suffered economic, political, and social losses through drug trafficking.
Causes of Terrorism in Colombia and Peru
The FARC, ELN, and SL were founded in the 1960s, characterized by regional political disturbance, while the MRTA was established in 1983. FARC and ELN emerged in Colombia as the organizations felt they had been sidelined in power-sharing agreements following the end of the fighting (Meernik & King, 2021). They emerged as communist guerrillas and took up arms to fight the government and seize control. The FARC mainly targeted peasant self-defense groups and militant communists. At the same time, the ELN gained a massive following from Catholic radicals, students, and left-wing scholars who desired to imitate Fidel Castro’s communist insurgency.
In Peru, the SL began as a small communist extremist organization under Abimael Guzmán, a philosophy professor who disagreed with Peru’s prevailing political elites. His followers drew on Marxism and the example of Cuba’s Fidel Castro. They merged into a significant and violent guerrilla army that regularly used terrorist tactics to destabilize and overthrow the Peruvian government (Shane, 2021). Escalante (2021) indicates that MRTA emerged as a Marxist organization seeking to free Peru of all imperialists. The group championed numerous communist doctrines that resulted in the Cuban revolution (Shane, 2021). The group also aimed to clean up the Peruvian government and build a community in which property rights would be shared and everyone enjoyed the same level of affluence.
Consequences of Terrorism in Colombia and Peru
In Colombia, the FARC and ELN have wreaked havoc, resulting in numerous consequences to human life, property, and ideology. The ELN emerged strongly as an ideological organization in comparison to FARC, even though both groups share similar modes of operation (Meernik & King, 2021). The organizations largely caused economic challenges due to opposition to privatizing natural resources. They claimed their position was based on the desire to represent the rural poor against Colombia’s elitist people. The groups have collaboratively executed terrorist activities in various parts of the country but clashed in other areas.
FARC and ELN mainly use kidnappings, violence, and extortion to gain leverage and finances. For instance, the FARC kidnaped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt in 2002, who was held along with three United States military contractors for six years (Shane, 2021). The group claimed to assassinate a former culture minister in 2001 and hijacked a domestic commercial flight in 2002 from where they managed to abduct a senator (Shane, 2011). According to Meernik and King, (2021), FARC alone caused the death of 220,000 people in about half a century, while 25,000 disappeared and over 5.7 million were displaced. In Peru, the SL and MRTA caused the death of over 69,000 people through internal conflict in two decades, with the SL accounting for over 50 percent of the losses (Escalante, 2021). Most victims were farmers since the attacks predominantly happened in rural areas.
However, MRTA has been reserved for violent means by opting to cause the least amount of injuries. They often warn of their attacks in advance. It is known for holding 490 people captive in 1996 in the Japanese embassy in Lima, aiming to release its jailed comrades.
The groups have further been involved in drug trafficking. Colombia is recognized as a major hub for cocaine production and trafficking of illicit drugs, mainly propagated by the FARC to generate revenue. Meernik and Kin ( 2021) state that the FARC accounted for over 60 percent of Colombian cocaine exports to the United States. As a result, the United States froze the assets of several FARC members it singled out as notable drug traffickers.
Peru has witnessed drug trafficking actions at a smaller scale compared to Colombia. Shane (2021) states that the ELN avoided drug trafficking for years and has recently been involved in the illicit trade. He further indicates that the organization is linked to a massive cocaine processing plant in western Colombia. Terrorist organizations have further engaged in illegally extracting resources, such as gold, to generate more funds (Escalante, 2011). The SL of Peru has also financed its operations from funds obtained through the trafficking of narcotics and forced taxation on individuals and small businesses in areas they predominately control (Shane, 2021). These terrorist undertakings resulted in economic sabotage of the local economy and distraction of social, ideological, and cultural connections.
Conclusion
Colombia and Peru are the top hot spots for terrorism in South America. The two countries are home to the biggest terrorist organizations in the region, including the FARC, ELN, SL, and MRTA. The groups emerged mainly in the 1960s to oppose discrimination in governments through war and violence. The activities of the groups have resulted in the death of thousands of people and the displacement of millions, especially in rural areas. They caused political instability through kidnappings and extortion. They engage in illicit trade involving the trafficking of narcotics, illegal extraction of resources, and taxation of individuals and small businesses.
References
Escalante, E. E. (2021). A self-defense network against terrorism and crime: Evidence from Peru. Terrorism and Political Violence, 1–18. Web.
Meernik, J., & King, K. (2021). Political violence and language endangerment in Colombia. Terrorism and Political Violence, 1–17. Web.
Shane, R. (2021). Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Latin America: A comparative study of Peru and Colombia. Global Tides, 15(1). Web.
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