The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People's Army, in Spanish Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia–Ejército del Pueblo, also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP is a communist revolutionary and illegally armed organization in Colombia. It was established in 1964-1966 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is designated by the Colombian Government, the United States, and the European Union, amongst others, as a terrorist organization for their actions against not only the government but also towards civilians and infrastructure.
The FARC's early beginnings were purely of a guerrilla movement until the group got involved with the illicit drug business during the 1980s causing an official separation from the Commmunist Party and creating a political structure it calls the Clandestine Colombian Communist Party. Despite accusations of terrorism, FARC-EP members still consider their organization a guerrilla movement, as do some analysts who argue that the FARC-EP's ideological positioning and aptitude has remained consistent. With an estimated 12,000-18,000 members (approximately 20 to 30% of them are recruits under 18 years of age), the FARC-EP is present in 35-40 percent of Colombia's territory, most strongly in southeastern jungles and in plains at the base of the Andes mountains.