armed conflict "is not only part of one or two areas, it is a problem of all the indigenous people." Organization and structure FARC–EP was the largest and oldest insurgent group in the Americas. According to the Colombian government, FARC–EP had an estimated 6,000–8,000 members in 2008, down from 16,000 in 2001, and lost much of its fighting force since President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002. Political analyst and former guerrilla estimated that FARC's numbers were reduced to around 11,000 from their 18,000 peak but cautioned against considering the group a defeated force. In 2007, FARC–EP Commander Raúl Reyes claimed that their force consisted of 18,000 guerrillas. According to a report from Human Rights Watch in 2006, approximately 10–15% of the recruits were minors, some of whom were forced to join the FARC, while women comprise around 40 percent of the guerilla army. FARC was organized hierarchically into military units as follows: Central High Command – composed of a five-member Secretariat (one of them being the Commander-in-Chief) and two "supplements". Coordinated the activities of the individual blocks, and determined overall strategy of FARC–EP. Estado Mayor Central – 25 members, who also coordinated the activities of blocks Block – 5+ fronts, with each block corresponding to one of Colombia's geographical regions: south, central, east, west, Middle Magdalena, Caribbean, and Cesar Front – 1+ columns. Within each front, there were combat, support, and infrastructure elements. Column – 2+ companies Company – 2+ guerrillas Guerrilla – 2 squads Squad – +/- 12 combatants The FARC–EP secretariat was led by Alfonso Cano and six others after the death of Manuel Marulanda (Pedro Antonio Marín), also known as "Tirofijo", or Sureshot, in 2008. The "international spokesman" of the organization was Raúl Reyes, who was killed in a Colombian army raid against a guerrilla camp in Ecuador on 1 March 2008. Cano was killed in a military operation on 4 November 2011. FARC–EP was open to a negotiated solution to the nation's conflict through dialogue with a flexible government that agreed to certain conditions, such as the demilitarization of certain areas, cessation of paramilitary and government violence against rural peasants, social reforms to reduce poverty and inequality, and the release of all jailed (and extradited) FARC–EP rebels. It said that until these conditions surfaced, the armed revolutionary struggle would remain necessary to fight against Colombia's elites. The FARC–EP said it would continue its armed struggle