AUC
- noun
- NSFW
- The illegal paramilitary death squads, known as the AUC (United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia), claim 11,000 members.
Examples
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Right-wing paramilitaries, known by their Spanish acronym AUC, originally entered the Sierra Nevada in order to displace the Marxist rebels from their traditional stronghold.
Academic text (2004) -
Mr. Mwencha expressed the AUC's appreciation for the support extended by the Chinese government.
Blog text (5) -
In recent years, however, the AUC has also overseen an explosion of coca planting.
Academic text (2004) -
The report estimates that the AUC's funding mainly comes from drug trafficking operations.
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In 2001, the U.S. government identified the AUC as a terrorist organization due to its violent activities.
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The AUC was involved in protecting the economic interests of local landowners through intimidation and violence.
Synonyms
A former illegal armed group in Colombia that used violence and sold drugs
A right-wing armed group in Colombia that deals in drugs and uses violence
An illegal armed group in Colombia formed in 1997 that fought and sold drugs
A violent group of armed fighters in Colombia formed in 1997 and paid with drug money
Surface Forms
Morphology
AUC = A + U + C
AUC is an initialism/acronym whose component letters do not transparently convey the meaning 'Colombian paramilitary organization' to learners.
Etymology
AUC is an acronym from Spanish: Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, which means 'United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia'. So the letters AUC are the group's initials and are used to name the Colombian armed group formed in 1997.