▁( G ua ido - led ▁government , ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 9 ) ▁and ▁( until ▁ 2 0 1 6 ) ▁the ▁European ▁Union ; ▁whereas ▁the ▁govern ments ▁of ▁Venezuela ▁( Mad uro - led ▁government ), ▁Brazil , ▁Argentina , ▁E cuador , ▁and ▁Nic ar agua ▁do ▁not . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Venez uel an ▁President ▁Hugo ▁Ch á vez ▁recognized ▁the ▁F AR C – EP ▁as ▁a ▁proper ▁army . ▁President ▁Ch á vez ▁also ▁asked ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁government ▁and ▁their ▁al lies ▁to ▁recognize ▁the ▁F AR C ▁as ▁a ▁bell iger ent ▁force , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁such ▁political ▁recognition ▁would ▁ob lige ▁the ▁F AR C ▁to ▁for go ▁kid n apping ▁and ▁terror ism ▁as ▁methods ▁of ▁civil ▁war ▁and ▁to ▁ab ide ▁by ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Convention . ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos ▁followed ▁a ▁middle ▁path ▁by ▁recogn izing ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁" ar med ▁conflict " ▁in ▁Colombia ▁although ▁his ▁prede cess or , ▁Ál var o ▁Uri be , ▁strongly ▁disag re ed . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁▁ ▁Eastern ▁B loc ▁of ▁the ▁F AR C - EP ▁ ▁T error ism ▁in ▁Colombia ▁ ▁T error ism ▁in ▁E cuador ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁political ▁host ages ▁held ▁by ▁F AR C ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁ ▁Books ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁K line , ▁H . ▁F ., ▁Colombia : ▁Dem ocracy ▁Under ▁Ass ault ,