Tomás Medina Caracas
Encyclopedia
Tomás Medina Caracas aka Tomás Molina Caracas aka Negro Acacio (March 15, 1965 – September 1, 2007) was a Colombia
n guerrilla member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) considered by Colombian authorities the man in charge of the illegal drug trade business and the head of the Eastern Bloc's 16th Front of this rebel group. He gained notoriety during the FARC-Government peace process (1999-2002) acting as a negotiator. He was also known for being the associate of Brazil
ian drug dealer Fernandinho Beiramar and for participating in an illegal arms deal of 10,000 AK-47
s for the FARC through the Peruvian government official Vladimiro Montesinos
, an adviser of former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori
. Medina Caracas was killed on September 1, 2007 in a Colombian Army
military operation in eastern Colombia within the municipality of Cumaribo
near the border with Venezuela
.
Medina Caracas had between 17 and 23 legal processes pending with the Attorney General of Colombia
, requesting his capture and a red corner notice issued by the INTERPOL
. The Colombian Army spent two years searching for Medina Caracas escaping from most of these operations. Just in Colombia Medina Caracas was charged with narcotrafficking, delinquency, kidnapping
, torture, first degree murder, terrorism, extortion and robbery.
origin. He became a teacher in a public school in the town of Santander de Quilichao
, northern Cauca Department
near the vereda known as Mary López where he was born. He later joined the FARC in May 1987 when he was 22 years old under the supervision of guerrilla leader Iván Márquez
, a high ranking member within the FARC chain of command. Apparently his nickname "Negro Acacio" was given by "Mono Jojoy" after one of the "heroes" of the Cuban Revolution
.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n guerrilla member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
(FARC) considered by Colombian authorities the man in charge of the illegal drug trade business and the head of the Eastern Bloc's 16th Front of this rebel group. He gained notoriety during the FARC-Government peace process (1999-2002) acting as a negotiator. He was also known for being the associate of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian drug dealer Fernandinho Beiramar and for participating in an illegal arms deal of 10,000 AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s for the FARC through the Peruvian government official Vladimiro Montesinos
Vladimiro Montesinos
Vladimiro Ilyich Montesinos Torres was the long-standing head of Peru's intelligence service, Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional , under President Alberto Fujimori. In 2000, secret videos, which he had recorded, were televised that showed his bribing an elected congressman to leave the opposition...
, an adviser of former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
. Medina Caracas was killed on September 1, 2007 in a Colombian Army
Colombian Army
The National Army of Colombia is the land military force of the government of Colombia and the largest service of the Colombian Armed Forces...
military operation in eastern Colombia within the municipality of Cumaribo
Cumaribo
Cumaribo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Vichada, Republic of Colombia. Cumaribo was founded by Jose Nicolino Mattar in 1959....
near the border with Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Medina Caracas had between 17 and 23 legal processes pending with the Attorney General of Colombia
Attorney General of Colombia
The Office of the Attorney General of Colombia is the Colombian institution part of the Colombian judicial branch of Government with administrative autonomy designed to prosecute offenders, investigate crimes, review judicial processes and accuse penal law infractions against judges and courts of...
, requesting his capture and a red corner notice issued by the INTERPOL
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
. The Colombian Army spent two years searching for Medina Caracas escaping from most of these operations. Just in Colombia Medina Caracas was charged with narcotrafficking, delinquency, kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, torture, first degree murder, terrorism, extortion and robbery.
Early years
Medina Caracas was of CaucanCauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
origin. He became a teacher in a public school in the town of Santander de Quilichao
Santander de Quilichao
Santander de Quilichao is a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia.-External links:...
, northern Cauca Department
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
near the vereda known as Mary López where he was born. He later joined the FARC in May 1987 when he was 22 years old under the supervision of guerrilla leader Iván Márquez
Iván Márquez
Luciano Marín Arango, aka "Iván Márquez" is a Colombian guerrilla leader, member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , part of its Secretariat higher command and advisor to the Northwestern and Caribbean blocs.According to the news agency Anncol it is likely that Márquez will be the new...
, a high ranking member within the FARC chain of command. Apparently his nickname "Negro Acacio" was given by "Mono Jojoy" after one of the "heroes" of the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
.
External links
- Medina-Caracas, Tomas DEA profile