The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said that, if necessary, they will be the first "in the front line" to defend the revolutionary project of Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and the fight he leads against the United States.

In a statement issued on Wednesday on the website of the Bolivarian Press Agency (ABP), the Eastern bloc of FARC, the most powerful front of the rebel group, urged Venezuelans to "prepare for an anti-imperialist fight", Efe reported.

After reiterating their gratitude for the tribute pay on September 24 by the Bolivarian Continental Coordinator (CCB) to the late FARC's historic leader Pedro Antonio Marín, aka "Manuel Marulanda" or "Tirofijo," the guerrilla leaders acknowledged that the deaths of several of its leaders have undermined the foundations of the FARC.