The Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reports that the militant group FARC plans to open an office in Europe. Potential locations for the new branch are Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris. El Tiempo says its report is based on an e-mail intercepted by the Colombian secret services.

The newspaper writes that FARC intends to use its European office to make contact with young left-wing extremists youths. A large meeting with FARC sympathisers is thought to be planned for next month. The Colombian militant group is on an EU list of terrorist organisations and cannot simply open an office in Europe. El Tiempo reports that it is therefore using a radical left-wing Venezuelan movement as a cover. The movement called the Bolivian Continental Coordinator is seen as a political branch of the FARC and is not mentioned on any list of terrorist organisations.

Photo: Bogotá (Flickr / ibiss)