Upon his return to Colombia, those who knew him said he had become decidedly more radical. Londoño joined the FARC-EP in 1982 after being introduced to the rebel group by Miller Chacon.
Supreme leader
Timochenko took over the FARC-EP leadership in November 2011 from Alfonso Cano after the leader was killed by the Colombian army. With more than 30 years of guerilla war experience and a reputation of being a ruthless military commander he "has widespread respect among the rank-and-file, particularly the hardliners that form the core of the rural fighters". According to the Colombian Air Force his alias is referring to SovietMarshalSemyon Timoshenko. Before assuming the leadership of the guerrilla group, Timochenko was one of the commanders of the Middle Magdalena Bloc of the FARC-EP and was thought to have some 800 men under his command.
Peace process
According to Foreign Policy, "Timochenko was instrumental in keeping the FARC from abandoning" the Colombian peace process, announcing in November 2012 the beginning of dialogue with the Colombian government. During this time, 'Timochenko' experienced health issues. In 2015, Jiménez suffered a heart attack. In November 2016, the Colombian government and FARC-EP reached a deal, with the FARC-EP transitioning from guerilla status to a political party.
Political career
Party foundation
In the morning of2 July 2017, he checked himself into a hospital in Villavicencio after feeling exhaustion and numbness in his arm. Doctors said that he was in intensive care and there was a temporary blockage of blood to his brain. Between 28 and 31 August 2017, a month after being hospitalized for a cerebral embolism, Timochenko led the founding congress of the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force party at the Bogota Convention Centre with the participation of one thousand delegates. In a speech on 1 September 2017, party leader Timochenko proposed a transitional government for the 2018–2022 term. On 31 October 2017, FARC was named a legal political party in Colombia.
On 1 November 2017, twenty-four hours after FARC was made a legal political party, Timochenko launched a presidential bid for the 2018 Colombian presidential election. During this time, he had the lowest polling figures among the Colombian public. In March 2018, he was hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome, underwent heart surgery and subsequently ended his presidential campaign.
Controversy
According to the United States Department of State, Timoleon Jimenez has set the FARC-EP’s cocaine policies directing and controlling the production, manufacture, and distribution of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States and the world, including the "taxation" of the illegal drug trade in Colombia to raise funds for the FARC-EP and the murder of hundreds of people who violated or interfered with the FARC-EP’s cocaine policies. According to the U.S. Department of State, in 2000, along with Pastor Alape, he ordered the Magdalena Medio Bloc to retake coca territory, shoot down fumigation aircraft, increase coca production, kidnap United States citizens and kill any farmer who sold cocaine paste to non-FARC-EP approved buyers. The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.
