Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, alias ‘Timochenko’

Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, alias “Timochenko,” is the third and last commander-in-chief in the nearly 50-year history of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC), which demobilized in 2016. Of the three FARC leaders, Timochenko has the most mysterious past.

What is Timochenko’s Story?

Some sources say Timochenko is a trained medical doctor, but there is no record of his studies. He hails from Quindío department in central Colombia’s coffee region, which saw some of the country’s worst political violence during a decades-long upheaval that began in the 1940s and ended just before groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) emerged in the mid-1960s.

Timochenko was trained in Cuba and Russia, and his nom de guerre was presumably chosen in honor of Semyon Timoshenko, a famous Soviet general during World War II. Before entering the guerrilla movement, Timochenko joined the Colombian Communist Party’s youth organization (Juventud Comunista Colombiana – JUCO). At the time, the JUCO opposed the administration of Alfonso López Michelsen. After taking up with the FARC, Timochenko rose through the ranks in some of the group’s most important strategic zones of influence. He is believed to have started his career with the FARC in the province of Antioquia, before moving on to the Magdalena Medio region in central Colombia.

After the FARC’s Eighth Conference in 1993, Colombia saw the guerrillas face tremendous pressure from the military and from paramilitary groups. Suspected guerrilla sympathizers were massacred by right-wing paramilitaries of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia – AUC). Gripped by paranoia, some local FARC commanders carried out brutal purges within their own ranks, until Timochenko stepped in and took command. This tale fed his reputation as a radical hardliner within the FARC, especially compared to past leaders such as Manuel Marulanda and Guillermo León Sáenz Vargas, alias “Alfonso Cano.”

In 1986, Timochenko was named to the FARC Secretariat, the organization’s seven-member command unit, and one year later he was made head of the Eastern Bloc. However, Jorge Briceño, alias “Mono Jojoy,” overshadowed Timochenko in terms of military influence within the FARC following the assault on the Girasol military base on January 8, 1991 in the town of Mesetas, Meta department.

In 1994, Timochenko was named commander of the Magdalena Medio Bloc, which was thought to be one of the toughest guerrilla divisions to command. Following the November 2011 death of Alfonso Cano, the guerrillas’ previous commander, Timochenko assumed leadership of the FARC.

Timochenko was known in the guerrilla group for his military skills, and although he had some experience managing international contacts in Venezuela, he relied on Luciano Marín, alias “Iván Márquez,” for diplomatic relations, as the latter was head of the FARC’s International Front. Timochenko also reportedly gained experience heading up the rebels’ intelligence and counter-intelligence, which aids him in keeping an eye on his inner circle.

Under his command, the FARC decided to officially begin peace negotiations with the government of then-President Juan Manuel Santos in Cuba on September 4, 2012. After two years of exploration and four in negotiation, on November 24, 2016, the peace agreement was signed, sealing a pact for the rebel group’s demobilization and its transformation into a political party with the same acronym but a different name: Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común – FARC).

In September 2017, Timochenko was elected president of the new FARC political party, which came to be called the Comunes Party. Shortly after, he announced his candidacy for president of Colombia. However, after he developed serious heart problems, the party withdrew its presidential bid while Timochenko recovered.

In September 2025, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz — JEP), the transitional court created under the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC, handed down its first sentence against the seven former members of the guerrilla group’s Secretariat, including Timochenko, for kidnappings committed by the organization. The court sentenced them to eight years, to be served through restorative projects.

In the March 2026 legislative elections, the Comunes Party failed to reach the vote threshold required to retain its legal status, losing its representation in Congress.

What Criminal Activities Was Timochenko Involved in?

Interpol issued a red notice for Timochenko, and more than 100 warrants have been issued for his arrest. Some of the crimes for which he has been accused are related to the 2001 kidnapping of former Meta Governor Alan Jara, the takeover of Vichada department’s capital city of Mitú in 1998 and the 2003 Club El Nogal bombing in Bogotá. Before the peace accords were signed, the US State Department was offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Timochenko’s arrest to answer for drug trafficking charges, although the FARC affirmed that its participation, as a group, in drug trafficking was limited to taxing coca farmers.

Once the peace agreement was signed, the United States lifted warrants for his arrest in Colombia.

Where Did Timochenko Operate?

When he was commander of the FARC’s Eastern Bloc, Timochenko wielded a great deal of influence in the Eastern Plains, Cundinamarca, Boyacá and several places in the Colombian Amazon. He later took the helm of the Magdalena Medio Bloc in central Colombia. After that, it is believed he moved to an area in the northeast corner of the country, covering the Serranía del Perijá mountain range and its border with Venezuela.

Who Were Timochenko’s Allies and Enemies?

Historically, the main enemies of FARC leaders like Timochenko have included extreme right-wing elements of Colombia’s political elite, some of whom have had ties to paramilitary groups. However, the FARC has seen its share of infighting as well. A rift formed in its ruling body when Timochenko assumed leadership of the FARC because Iván Márquez was also a candidate for the guerrilla group’s top position.

In the wake of successful military operations against its commanders, the FARC increasingly depended on young leaders due to its need to continue with the chain of command. This meant that even though Iván Márquez was a strong contender for the top leadership position, Timochenko took the reins because he had more years of service in the Secretariat under his belt.

The division became most evident as the FARC transitioned into a political party. Márquez earned more votes than Timochenko in the new party’s elections for its national directorate after running on a more critical line regarding the implementation of the peace agreement.

When Márquez took up arms again in August 2019, alongside other former mid- and high-ranking FARC commanders, Timochenko got rid of the most radical threat to his power inside the party. However, two men were arrested in January 2020 near Timochenko’s home, having reportedly been sent to assassinate him. While initially, the assassination was linked to Hernán Darío Velásquez Saldarriaga, alias “El Paisa,” there are now heavy doubts about who was behind it.

What Lies Ahead for Timochenko?

After leading the most important guerrilla group on the continent, orchestrating multiple acts of violence, committing extortion and participating in the drug trade, Timochenko was the main architect of the peace accords that paved the way for the FARC’s participation in Colombian politics by turning it into a political party on November 1, 2017.

Although the party lost its legal status in 2026, Londoño continues to advocate for the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia.