▁" pop ular ▁front s " ▁in ▁urban ▁areas , ▁calling ▁for ▁improved ▁living ▁and ▁working ▁conditions , ▁education , ▁and ▁rights ▁for ▁the ▁working ▁class . ▁These ▁groups ▁began ▁networking ▁together ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁def ensive ▁front ▁against ▁the ▁state - supported ▁violence ▁of ▁large ▁land hold ers . ▁M embers ▁organized ▁strik es , ▁protest s , ▁se iz ures ▁of ▁land , ▁and ▁organized ▁commun ist - control led ▁" self - def ense ▁communities " ▁in ▁southern ▁Colombia ▁that ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁resist ▁state ▁military ▁forces , ▁while ▁providing ▁for ▁the ▁subs istence ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁popul ace . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁P CC ' s ▁attempts ▁at ▁organ izing ▁pe as ants ▁were ▁met ▁with ▁violent ▁repr ession ▁by ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁land own ing ▁class . ▁U . S . ▁military ▁intelligence ▁estimated ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁P CC ▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁active ▁members , ▁and ▁an ▁additional ▁ 2 8 , 0 0 0 ▁supp or ters . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁a ▁gu err illa ▁leader ▁and ▁long - time ▁P CC ▁organ izer ▁named ▁Manuel ▁Mar ul anda ▁Vé lez ▁declared ▁an ▁independent ▁" Rep ublic ▁of ▁Mar quet alia ". ▁The ▁L ler as ▁government ▁attempted ▁un success fully ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁communities ▁to ▁drive ▁out ▁the ▁gu err illas , ▁due ▁to ▁fear