Manuel Marulanda
Pedro Antonio Marín Marín (13 May 1930 [disputed] – 26 March 2008), known by his "nom de guerre" Manuel Marulanda Vélez, was the founder and main leader of the Marxist–Leninist FARC-EP ("Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo"). Marulanda was born in a coffee-growing region of west-central Colombia in the Quindío Department, to a peasant family politically aligned with the Liberal Party during conflicts in the 1940s and 1950s.
Manuel Marulanda | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Manuel Marulanda Vélez Tirofijo |
| Born | 13 May 1930 Génova, Quindío Colombia |
| Died | 26 March 2008 (aged 77) Meta Department, Colombia |
| Allegiance | FARC |
| Rank | Secretariat member, Chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia |
| Unit | Southern Bloc |
| Battles/wars | Colombian armed conflict |
Marulanda was nicknamed "Tirofijo" (Spanish: Surefire or Sureshot) by his comrades, apparently because of a reputed ability to accurately aim firearms.
Marulanda himself changed his political and ideological inclinations to the Communist Party (PCC) during "La Violencia" (roughly 1948 to 1958) that followed the assassination of the Liberal Party's leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán.
In March 2006, Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General of the United States, announced in conjunction with Drug Enforcement Administration and United States Department of Justice officials that the US State Department had placed a $5 million reward on Tirofijo's head, or for information leading to his capture. But "Marulanda" was never apprehended, and died of a heart attack on 26 March 2008. He was replaced as commander-in-chief by Alfonso Cano.