Terrorism outsourced: the FARC’s criminal alliances

Colombia has been in the midst of peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since 2011. This process could follow the trend in attempted resolutions of other internal armed conflicts in Latin American countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. These Central-American countries experienced peaks in violence and the emergence of splinter criminal groups after their respective governments reached agreements with the guerrillas. A similar situation can occur in Colombia, particularly if a hardline subgroup from the FARC does not want to commit to peace agreements. This research focuses on the set of terrorists that will continue their activities by forming alliances with criminal groups. In order to understand this potential risk, this research uses social network analysis techniques on three recent cases of terrorist-criminal association, in which the FARC has subcontracted criminal organizations to conduct operations on its behalf. The analysis sheds light on the social structure of these networks, their actors’ centrality, the organizations’ centralization, and their transformation over time. The results of this analysis contribute to identify some important considerations to strengthen the state and the nation’s security.http://archive.org/details/terrorismoutsour1094544615Major, National Police of ColombiaApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited