@article{ref1,
title="Rebels-turned-narcos? The FARC-EP's political involvement in Colombia's cocaine economy",
journal="Studies in conflict and terrorism",
year="2021",
author="Gutiérrez, José Antonio and Thomson, Frances",
volume="44",
number="1",
pages="26-51",
abstract="According to the 'rebels-turned-narcos' premise, increasing involvement in the illicit drug industry causes insurgent groups to lose sight of their political aims, as they shift their focus to profit-making. The (former) Colombian rebel group, the FARC-EP, became a paragon for this idea. Drawing on primary research, we argue that the FARC-EP's involvement in the illicit drug economy was itself political. Their involvement included governance activities, which are by their very nature political. Furthermore, these activities formed part of the FARC-EP's political project, aimed at ensuring the reproduction of the peasant smallholder economy. Our argument challenges the rebels-turned-narcos premise more broadly by showing why involvement in the illicit drug economy, on its own, is insufficient evidence to posit the depoliticization of an insurgent group.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1057-610X",
doi="10.1080/1057610X.2020.1793456",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2020.1793456"
}