Via the BBC: Colombian rebels say leader dead
The long-time commander and founder of the group died in the arms of comrades on 26 March, according to a Farc statement broadcast by Colombian media.
I can see no advantage for the FARC to lie about this, so we can say that Pedro Antonio Marín, a.k.a. Ivan Marulanda Vélez, a.k.a., Tirofijo (Sureshot) is dead.
This places his death was a few weeks after the strike into Ecuador by the Colombian government that killed Raúl Reyes, which took place at the end of February, and while it is unlikely that Marulanda was engaged in serious day-to-day command prior to his death (his health had been long-rumored to have been poor), his had to have compounded the difficulty of Reyes’ death, the loss of the laptops and the subsequent death of Ivan Ríos , the surrender of Karina and the capture of Santiago (all discussed here).
This has clearly been the worst three-ish month stretch in the history of the FARC.
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