▁( am ong ▁whom ▁were ▁Nobel ▁la ure ate ▁Gabriel ▁García ▁M ár quez ) ▁to ▁the ▁Sim ón ▁Bol í var ▁Gu err illa ▁Co ordin ating ▁Board ▁was ▁released ▁den oun cing ▁the ▁approach ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁F AR C – EP ▁and ▁the ▁dire ▁consequences ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁having ▁for ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁F AR C – EP ▁had ▁between ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁f igh ters , ▁organized ▁into ▁ 7 0 ▁front s ▁spread ▁throughout ▁the ▁country . ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁they ▁inf lic ted ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁strik es ▁on ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁Army , ▁including ▁a ▁three - day ▁off ensive ▁in ▁Mit ú ▁( V au p és ▁department ), ▁taking ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁soldiers ▁prisoner . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁F AR C ▁kid n apped ▁American ▁agricult ural ▁scient ist ▁Thomas ▁H arg ro ve ▁and ▁held ▁him ▁capt ive ▁for ▁ 1 1 ▁months . ▁After ▁his ▁release , ▁H arg ro ve ▁wrote ▁a ▁book ▁about ▁his ▁or de al ▁which ▁inspired ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁film ▁Proof ▁of ▁Life ▁st arring ▁Meg ▁Ryan ▁and ▁Russell ▁Cro we . ▁ ▁Over ▁this ▁period ▁in ▁Colombia , ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁different ▁dru gs ▁expanded ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁w