Raul Reyes
| Luis Edgar Devia Silva | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Raúl Reyes |
| Born |
September 30, 1948 La Plata, Huila, Colombia |
| Died | March 1, 2008 (aged 59) near Santa Rosa de Sucumbíos, Ecuador |
| Allegiance | Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) |
| Rank | Member of the Central High Command |
| Unit | Southern Bloc |
| Battles/wars | Colombian armed conflict |
Luis Edgar Devia Silva (September 30, 1948 – March 1, 2008), better known by his nom de guerre Raúl Reyes, was a Secretariat member, spokesperson, and advisor to the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People's Army (FARC–EP). He was killed in a targeted killing military operation by the Colombian army 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) within Ecuador, sparking the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis.
Reyes was born in the Colombian town of La Plata, Huila Department. Devia Silva joined the Colombian Communist Youth (JUCO) when he was 16 years old. He later joined a trade union movement while working for a Nestlé milk plant in the department of Caquetá. Devia Silva served as councilman for his home town representing the Colombian Communist Party (PCC), and was also a member of the party's Central Committee.
After becoming a member of FARC and joining its Secretariat, Reyes became a prominent figure and spokesperson for the FARC, number two man in the group's seven person ruling secretariat.
Reyes was accused by the US Department of State and the Colombian government of expanding FARC's cocaine trafficking activities and setting related policies, including the production, manufacture, and distribution of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States and other countries. He was accused of promoting the "taxation" of the illegal drug trade in Colombia to raise funds for the FARC, as well as participating in the murder of hundreds of people who violated or interfered with the FARC's cocaine-related policies.
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