Top Colombian rebel leader killed
The leader of Colombia's FARC guerrillas is killed during a shootout with government forces, dealing a major blow to the organization. Andrew Raven reports.
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For the last three years, this man - Alfonso Cano - led a guerrilla war against Colombia's government. But on Saturday, the leader of the rebel group FARC was killed in a shootout with security forces. Colombian officials said Cano - who had a $4 million bounty on his head - died during a raid on a FARC compound deep in the Colombian jungle. President Juan Manuel Santos called it a major blow for the organization. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JUAN MANUEL SANTOS, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT, SAYING: "I want to send a message to each and every one of the members of this organization: demobilize because, as we've said so many times and as we've proven, you will end up in jail or a coffin." The FARC was once a powerful force controlling large swaths of Colombia. But a major offensive by the government has resulted in the deaths of several high-profile leaders in recent years. And the FARC - which stands for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia - is at its weakest point in decades. Cano had led the group since the death of its founder in 2008. Andrew Raven, Reuters