Timoleón Jiménez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Timoleón Jiménez
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|---|---|
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| President of Commons | |
| Assumed office 1 September 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Commander-in-Chief of FARC-EP | |
| In office November 2011 – 27 June 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Alfonso Cano |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri
22 January 1959 Calarcá, Quindío, Colombia |
| Political party | Commons |
| Nicknames |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  FARC-EP |
| Years of service | 1982–2017 |
| Rank | Supreme Leader |
| Commands | Middle Magdalena Bloc |
| Battles/wars | Colombian conflict
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Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri (born January 22, 1959) is a Colombian politician. He is best known by his nickname Timochenko. For many years, he was the leader of an armed rebel group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
After a long conflict, Londoño helped make peace with the Colombian government. The FARC group then became a political party called Commons, and he became its president.
Contents
Early Life and Joining FARC
Rodrigo Londoño was born in Calarcá, Colombia, to a poor family. As a young man, he joined the youth group of the Colombian Communist Party.
In 1976, when he was 17, Londoño joined the FARC. The FARC was an armed group that was fighting against the Colombian government. Londoño said he admired the idea of an armed struggle and thought it would be a quick fight, like the revolution in Cuba. While with the FARC, he received medical training.
Leader of the FARC
In November 2011, Londoño became the leader of the FARC after its previous commander, Alfonso Cano, was killed. As leader, he was known by the alias Timochenko. This name was likely a reference to Semyon Timoshenko, a military commander from the former Soviet Union.
Before becoming the main leader, Londoño was a commander of a FARC unit called the Middle Magdalena Bloc.
Working for Peace
As the leader of FARC, Londoño played a very important role in ending the long conflict in Colombia. He helped keep the group committed to peace talks with the government. In November 2012, he officially announced that talks to end the fighting had begun.
In November 2016, the FARC and the Colombian government signed a final peace agreement. This historic deal meant that the FARC would give up its weapons and become a peaceful political party.
Political Career
Starting a New Party
After the peace deal, Londoño led the creation of a new political party. The party was formed from the former FARC members. It was first named the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, also using the initials FARC. Later, the name was changed to Commons.
The party was officially founded at a conference in Bogotá in August 2017. On September 1, 2017, Londoño, as the party's leader, suggested a special government to help the country transition to peace. On October 31, 2017, the party was officially recognized as a legal political party in Colombia.
Presidential Campaign
On November 1, 2017, just one day after the party became legal, Londoño announced he would run for president in the 2018 Colombian presidential election. However, his campaign did not attract much public support.
In March 2018, he had to stop his campaign because of health problems. He had heart surgery and decided to end his run for president. He has continued to lead the Commons political party.
See also
In Spanish: Rodrigo Londoño para niños
