In 1985, during the 1984-1987 ceasefire that followed the 1984 Uribe Accords, the FARC, along with the Colombian Communist Party (PCC), co-founded the Patriotic Union (UP), a political party with the goal of presenting formidable opposition to the dominant political entities at the time. In addition to FARC and Colombian Communist Party (PCC) members, the UP also attracted members of the ELN, leftist leaders, and other rebel group members. In order to gain more followers, the UP discouraged the use of arms despite endorsement from the FARC and others. The party sought to address land reform, provide better medical care and educational services for the poor, and nationalize businesses, banks, and transportation systems. [103] The UP was extremely successful during the 1986 elections, winning hundreds of local council seats, nine seats in the House, and six seats in the Senate. Following this success, the Colombian government and paramilitaries allegedly assassinated 500 UP leaders before 1988 and an additional 4,000 by 1992. By 2002, the UP’s legal status as a party was revoked because of lack of members and the party was inactive until 2013, when its legal status was restored. [104] [105]
In 2005, during the UP’s inactive years, former UP members, including FARC members, created the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA) [106] The PDA has proven to be internally fragmented but publicly supports the peace negotiations between the FARC and the Santos administration.