Other Names
Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional

Description
The ELN is a Colombian Marxist insurgent group formed in 1965 by urban intellectuals inspired by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. It is primarily rural-based, although it possesses several urban units. The ELN began preliminary talks with the Colombian Government in December 2005 in Cuba, but had not yet agreed to begin a formal peace process.

Activities
Kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, and extortion. Minimal conventional military capability. Conducts kidnappings for ransom, often targeting foreign employees of large corporations, especially in the petroleum industry. Derives some revenue from taxation of the illegal narcotics industry. Assaults energy infrastructure and has inflicted major damage on pipelines and the electrical distribution network but has lost much of its capacity to carry out attacks in the past few years.

Strength
Approximately 3,000 armed combatants and an unknown number of active supporters. Location/Area of Operation Mostly in rural and mountainous areas of northern, northeastern, and southwestern Colombia, and Venezuelan border regions.

Location/Area of Operation
 

External Aid
Cuba provides some medical care and political consultation. Venezuela continues to provide a hospitable environment.