This new organization soon spread, especially in the northern parts of the country. All three guerrilla groups were mainly present in the rural areas, which is an important factor in understanding the conflict in Colombia. It has often been stated that the roots the guerrilla has among the peasants stopped them from gaining a foothold in the cities. Whereas the armed organizations influence or even control large rural regions, they hardly have any influence on the conflicts in the cities. Although this criticism is legitimate to a certain degree, one should not forget how difficult it is to work illegally in the cities.
Repression there is much harder than in the countryside.
Still, the guerrilla has achieved a lot in the cities in spite of these restrictions. In the seventies, more guerrilla organizations were being formed, many quite different from the already mentioned ones in their political program and their operations. In spite of numerous splits and crises of the different organizations, the guerrilla transformed into a real menace to the government in the late seventies. A massive general strike in 1977 manifested the dissatisfaction of the population. But other than expected, resistance spread in Colombia.