United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia

The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, in Spanish), were formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary federation led by Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá (ACCU) that sought to consolidate many local and regional paramilitary groups in Colombia, each intending to protect different local economic, social and political interests by fighting insurgents in their areas. AUC itself previously estimated that it had authority over most of the paramilitary forces within Colombia, with the remainder being independent or splinter factions. It is estimated that it has more than 20,000 militants. The AUC is considered to be a terrorist organization by multiple countries and organizations, including the United States and the European Union. The AUC claims its primary objective is to protect its sponsors and its supporters from insurgents and their activities, including kidnapping, murder and extortion, because the Colombian state has historically failed to do so. The AUC now asserts itself as a regional and national counterinsurgent force. Former AUC supreme leader Carlos Castaño Gil in 2000 claimed 70 percent of the AUC's operational costs were financed with drug-related earnings, the rest coming from "donations" from its sponsors.
See more at Wikipedia.org...