Revolutionary Social Change in Colombia

The Origin and Direction of the FARC-EP

By (author) James J. Brittain

Publication date:

09 December 2009

Length of book:

352 pages

Publisher

Pluto Press

ISBN-13: 9781849644235

Although they are one of the most powerful military forces in Latin American history, little is known about the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP). This book explains why this political military movement came into existence and assesses whether the methods employed by the insurgency have the potential to free those marginalised in Colombia.

By evaluating the FARC-EP's actions, ideological construction, and their theoretical placement, the book gauges how this guerrilla movement relates to revolutionary theory and practice and through what tangible mechanisms, if any, they are creating a new Colombia.

Dedication
Acknowledgements
Prologue
List of Diagrams, Graphs, Maps, and Tables
List of Acronyms
Preface
1. An Overview of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP): A History of Radicalism in the Countryside
2. Ejército del Pueblo: A Sociological Analysis of Radical Social Change
3. Theorizing Revolution: The Importance of Colombia
4. Colombia's Rural Political Economy in Historical and Contemporary Perspective
5. The Political Economy of Coca in Colombia, Past and Present
6. Dominant Class Reactionism: Far-Right Politics and Paramilitarism
7. The FARC-EP's Relation to (Pre)Revolutionary Social Change
8. Prospects for the Future: From 'Dual Power' to Taking Power
Bibliography
Index

'A theoretically and empirically rich analysis of the insurgency and its historical origins'