Note on terminology
This report uses various terms to refer to different illegal armed and criminal groups. There is a plethora of such armed groups and splinter factions, particularly within the dissident groups which split from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo). Illegal armed actors in Colombia are highly fluid, reconfiguring according to the constant competition for resources, territories, and profits from illegal economies, among other factors. This report reflects the most common umbrella terms used as of publication date:
1) the Gaintanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC, Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia) have their genealogy in the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC, Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia), a right-wing paramilitary organisation. AGC is also known as El Ejército Gaitanista de Colombia (EGC) (Gaitanista Army of Colombia), Clan del Golfo (Gulf Clan), Los Urabeños, or Clan Úsuga. For the sake of readability and consistency, references to this group in the report generally use the term AGC;
2) 'Guerrilla' groups refer to those of left-wing insurgent origin, but typically now meaning the National Liberation Army (ELN, Ejército de Liberación Nacional) since the FARC-EP demobilisation;
3) 'Post-FARC dissident' groups, which are also called FARC dissident groups, either splintered from the FARC-EP during the peace process or abandoned the reincorporation process after signing the 2016 Peace Agreement. Both continue their armed activities on a more criminal basis;
4) 'Criminal groups' is a term used to refer to those that are essentially organised crime groups and gangs that have no particular political heritage;
5) 'Illegal armed groups' is an umbrella term used in the report to include armed actors other than state security forces such as those already described (AGC, ELN, FARC dissident groups, gangs, etc.).