Rebels-Turned-Narcos? The FARC-EP’s Political Involvement in Colombia’s Cocaine Economy

Abstract

According to the ‘rebels-turned-narcos’ premise, increasing involvement in the illicit drug industry causes insurgent groups to lose sight of their political aims, as they shift their focus to profit-making. The (former) Colombian rebel group, the FARC-EP, became a paragon for this idea. Drawing on primary research, we argue that the FARC-EP’s involvement in the illicit drug economy was itself political. Their involvement included governance activities, which are by their very nature political. Furthermore, these activities formed part of the FARC-EP’s political project, aimed at ensuring the reproduction of the peasant smallholder economy. Our argument challenges the rebels-turned-narcos premise more broadly by showing why involvement in the illicit drug economy, on its own, is insufficient evidence to posit the depoliticization of an insurgent group.     

1980年代中国外交战略调整的缘起

"一条线"战略的缺陷是中国外交战略调整的根本原因。此战略的实施揭示出苏联的战略困境,增强了中国应对苏联战略压力的信心,使中国具备了战略调整的前提。"联美反苏"的构想给美国造成了中国有求于人的印象,导致里根政府在台湾问题上的倒退。为打破"一条线"战略束缚对美政策的局面,中国在"八一七公报"谈判中结束了"一条线"战略,从而牵动了外交战略的调整。这次调整的结果是改变了中国对美、对苏和对第三世界的政策:与美国战略合作的地位相对降低,开启了中苏关系缓和的进程,重新重视与第三世界的关系。