United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia

The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (or AUC) were an extreme right-wing paramilitary organization originally from Colombia, founded in 1997 by brothers Carlos Castaño Gil and Vicente Castaño Gil.

Their objective was to fight insurgent organizations in Colombia such as the FARC or the ELN, however, as time went by, they began committing terrorist attacks and multiple massacres throughout Colombia, killing a large percentage of civilians and peasants during their operations, being responsible for 80% of the murders of civilians during the Colombian Conflict.

Drug trafficking also represented an objective, because it provided a source of income and self-support to "finance an anti-subversive war". In the same way that extortion and kidnapping were cited as profitable activities.

On August 5, 2006, they were officially dissolved, however, some of their former members continued on criminal paths, forming criminal gangs.