But Saenz and Nastacuas insist the role of women is the same as their male counterparts. They guard, patrol and, when it is their turn, cook in mud ovens. Moreover, they say no concessions are made for gender when it comes to combat duties or hiking over rough terrain with backpacks weighing up to 75 pounds. But machismo is still apparent in the all-male FARC ruling council. The guerrillas have grown up in a macho society.
Women appear to be working their way up the ranks, and many are now serving as field commanders.
But women don't have to be submissive. Rondon joined the FARC 15 years ago, when she was just 12, after the army burst into her home and beat her father on suspicion of collaborating with the guerrillas. Her revenge came in 1996, when she took part in a rebel raiding party that stormed Las Delicias army base in a remote corner of Putumayo province. Rondon recalled how she and her comrades marched in their underwear on the final days before the attack in a desperate effort to avoid friction burns from their uniforms, which were dampened by constant rain. Despite the rigors of such firefights, these revolutionaries keep up their appearance.