Marcos Calarcá
Encyclopedia
Luis Alberto Albán Burbano aka "Marcos Calarcá" or "Marco León Calarcá" is a Colombia
n guerrilla member and spokeperson of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC). Calarca gained notoriety internationally when the Colombian government asked the Mexican government to shut down a legally authorized office of the FARC in Mexico City
for their violent activities in Colombia and their support network in Mexico. Calarca was a spokesperson for the FARC in Mexico from 1993 until 2002.
His wife (Amparo Victoria Torres) and two sons live in Canada, where they have created an extensive FARC support network. Amparo Victoria Torres is the sister of aka "Pablo Catatumbo," one of the members of the FARC Secretariat. Amparo actively develops in Canada a series of activities aimed at supporting FARC financially and politically. Amparo is the right hand person and the assistant of Calarca's activities in North America. Calarca continuously travels between Canada and Mexico.
. Calarca was deported from Bolivia to Mexico since Colombia never requested his extradition.
. Calarca mediated in the issue and was an active spokeperson for the FARC. All four Americans were eventually freed.
along with other members of the FARC; Iván Ríos
(coordinator), Mariana Páez,
Domingo Biohó, Felipe Rincón, Julián Conrado, Gabriel Angel, Fidel Rondón, Bayron Yepes and Pedro Aldana.
services.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n guerrilla member and spokeperson of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
(FARC). Calarca gained notoriety internationally when the Colombian government asked the Mexican government to shut down a legally authorized office of the FARC in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
for their violent activities in Colombia and their support network in Mexico. Calarca was a spokesperson for the FARC in Mexico from 1993 until 2002.
His wife (Amparo Victoria Torres) and two sons live in Canada, where they have created an extensive FARC support network. Amparo Victoria Torres is the sister of aka "Pablo Catatumbo," one of the members of the FARC Secretariat. Amparo actively develops in Canada a series of activities aimed at supporting FARC financially and politically. Amparo is the right hand person and the assistant of Calarca's activities in North America. Calarca continuously travels between Canada and Mexico.
Arrest in Bolivia and extradition to Mexico
On Tuesday March 24, 1998 Calarca was arrested by in Bolivia by the Bolivian police at the airport of La PazLa Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
. Calarca was deported from Bolivia to Mexico since Colombia never requested his extradition.
Kidnapping of foreigners in Colombia
In 1998 FARC kidnapped a number of foreigners including four American bird watchers. The FARC claimed that these four hostages were spies involved in counter-insurgency operations aiding the Colombian military. The United States denied this as well as then president of Colombia Ernesto SamperErnesto Samper
Ernesto Samper Pizano is a Colombian politician. He served as the President of Colombia from August 7, 1994 to August 7, 1998, representing the Liberal Party. He was involved in the 8000 process scandal, which takes its name from the folio number assigned to it by the chief prosecutor's office...
. Calarca mediated in the issue and was an active spokeperson for the FARC. All four Americans were eventually freed.
Expelled from Mexico
Calarca and other members of the FARC left Mexico on April 17, 2002 with Cuba or Venezuela as presumed destinations.FARC-government peace process attempt
Calarca became part of the "thematic committee" during the FARC-Government peace process (1999-2002)1999–2002 FARC-Government peace process
The FARC-Government peace process , from January 7, 1999 to February 20, 2002, was a failed peace process between the Government of President Andrés Pastrana and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrilla group in an effort to bring to an end the ongoing Colombian Armed...
along with other members of the FARC; Iván Ríos
Iván Ríos
José Juvenal Velandia, aka Iván Ríos, aka Manuel Jesús Muñoz Ortiz, , born in San Francisco, Putumayo, Colombia, was the Head of the Central Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the youngest member of this guerrilla's Central High Command.-Death:Ríos was killed by his security...
(coordinator), Mariana Páez,
Domingo Biohó, Felipe Rincón, Julián Conrado, Gabriel Angel, Fidel Rondón, Bayron Yepes and Pedro Aldana.
Wanted by Colombian authorities
The government of Colombia is offering a reward of COP$1500 million pesos for his capture or killing through the InterpolInterpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
services.