Pablo Catatumbo

Who is Pablo Catatumbo?

Jorge Torres Victoria also known as "Pablo Catatumbo" is a Colombian guerrilla leader, member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and part of the secretariat of the FARC and their higher command known as the Estado Mayor Central which is made up some 30 to 60 members. In March, 2008 Torres-Victoria was appointed member of the secretariat of the FARC.

Catatumbo took command of several FARC-EP fronts in Chocó and Valle del Cauca in the 1990s, after which they grew in size and became strong enough to fight the paramilitary group AUC in the region.

The United States government accuses Torres-Victoria of arranging cocaine distribution routes, participating in setting and implementing the FARC’s cocaine policies, directing and controlling the production, manufacture, and distribution of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States and Europe; the "taxation" of the drug trade in Colombia to raise funds for the FARC; and the murder of hundreds of people who violated or interfered with the FARC’s cocaine policies. The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward up to US$2.5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.