He was part of JUCO in Puerto Berrío and joined the 12th Front in 1981, where he remained until 1986 when he was sent as a quota to the Hernando González Acosta School. From there, he became part of Jacobo Arenas’s personal guard, where he received political education courses. While in that unit, he became an instructor at the “Hernando González Acosta” cadre school. After his time in the 45th Front and 52nd Front, the FARC Secretariat decided to send him in 1992 to evaluate the situation in Cundinamarca as the Strategic Deployment Center. As a result, in June 1992, he recommended the development of new fronts that could surround the capital city. He became a member of the Secretariat, member of the Central Command Structure (Estado Mayor Central), and head of the Magdalena Medio Bloc.
