Segunda Marquetalia
Overview (BLUF)
Segunda Marquetalia is a FARC dissident faction founded in 2019 by former FARC-EP peace negotiator Luciano Marín Arango (“Iván Márquez”) and other senior FARC commanders who rejected the 2016 Peace Agreement’s implementation. The name references Marquetalia — the legendary rural enclave where the original FARC was founded in 1964 — signalling the faction’s claim to ideological continuity with the historic FARC-EP.
Segunda Marquetalia differs from the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) — the other major FARC dissident bloc — in leadership composition (former senior negotiators rather than mid-level commanders) and, originally, in political posture (more focused on ideological legitimacy). The two factions have overlapping territory and have alternated between cooperation and conflict. Together, FARC dissidents represent the most significant departure from the 2016 peace process and pose the primary armed threat to Colombia’s peace framework.
Key Facts
| Dimension | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 2019 (Iván Márquez manifesto) |
| Leadership | Iván Márquez (status uncertain after assassination attempt 2021); multiple field commanders |
| Territory | Colombia-Venezuela border zone; Catatumbo; Pacific coast; international presence in Venezuela |
| Finance | Cocaine trafficking (primary); extortion; illegal mining |
| Designation | Terrorist: Colombia, US; UN sanctions linkages via FARC SDN |
| Venezuela link | Operations based partly in Venezuelan territory with Maduro government tolerance |
Key Connections
- Estado Mayor Central — parallel FARC dissident faction; competitor/sometime ally
- ELN — competitor and occasional co-operator in regional armed ecology
- Colombia — primary operating theatre
- Venezuela — rear base; Maduro tolerance of operations
- Colombia — FARC Dissidents, ELN and the Peace Process Under Pressure: Strategic Assessment — primary assessment
Sources
- InSight Crime, Segunda Marquetalia Profile (updated 2025). Confidence: High.
- ICG, Colombia’s Elusive Quest for Peace (2024). Confidence: High.