▁forces ▁at ▁Mar quet alia , ▁and ▁then ▁escaped ▁into ▁the ▁mountains ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁f igh ters . ▁These ▁ 4 8 ▁men ▁formed ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁F AR C , ▁which ▁later ▁grew ▁in ▁size ▁to ▁hundreds ▁of ▁f igh ters . ▁ ▁Bet an cur ▁and ▁Bar co ▁presiden cies ▁( 1 9 8 2 – 1 9 9 0 ) ▁ ▁Se vent h ▁Gu err illa ▁Conference ▁of ▁the ▁F AR C – EP ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁F AR C – EP ▁held ▁its ▁Se vent h ▁Gu err illa ▁Conference , ▁which ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁major ▁shift ▁in ▁F AR C ' s ▁strategy . ▁F AR C ▁had ▁histor ically ▁been ▁doing ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁fighting ▁in ▁rural ▁areas , ▁and ▁was ▁limited ▁to ▁small - scale ▁confront ations ▁with ▁Colomb ian ▁military ▁forces . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁increased ▁income ▁from ▁the ▁" c oca ▁bo om " ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁expand ▁into ▁an ▁irregular ▁army , ▁which ▁would ▁then ▁stage ▁large - scale ▁attacks ▁on ▁Colomb ian ▁troops . ▁They ▁also ▁began ▁sending ▁f igh ters ▁to ▁Vietnam ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁for ▁advanced ▁military ▁training . ▁They ▁also ▁planned ▁to ▁move ▁closer ▁to ▁middle - s ized ▁cities , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁only ▁remote ▁rural ▁areas , ▁and ▁closer ▁to ▁areas ▁rich ▁in ▁natural ▁resources , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁strong ▁economic ▁infrastr ucture . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁at ▁this ▁conference ▁that ▁F