The Peronist Armed Forces, also known by its Spanish acronym FAP, was formed in 1967 in the Tucum&#225;n province, Argentina. The terrorist organization, co-founded by four Argentine men, was designed as a "foco" insurgent group.  A foco insurgency aims to affect change through a small band of guerillas, who strike directly against state forces.  Thus, the foco insurgency does <i> not </i> concentrate its resources on fomenting revolution among the general populace. A foco insurgency is also not designed for a long duration; however, FAP continued its terrorist activities for several years. <P>  <br /><br />In order to understand the motivation and objectives of the FAP terrorist group, it is necessary to look at the Argentine political climate in the mid-twentieth century.  In 1944 a military coup took control of the Argentine government.  One of the coup leaders was Juan Domingo Peron.  Peron was then elected to the Argentine presidency in 1946.  Though he was elected in 1946, Peron then established a dictatorship that would rule until 1955.  Peron initially gained most of his support from the Argentine army.  But eventually, through the efforts of his second wife Eva Peron, he successfully secured the support of the trade unions.  Therefore, Dictator Peron had support among both rightist and leftist groups in the country.  Still, Peron was eventually overthrown in 1955 and exiled from the country.  However, the Peronist party maintained a strong presence throughout the 1960s and many Argentines supported the return of Peron to power.  From this turbulent situation, terrorist entities such as the Peronist Armed Forces arose. <P><br /><br />Some consider the Peronist Armed Forces to be the first Peronist terrorist group.  FAP broke off from Juventud Peronista (Peronist Youth) in 1967 and thereafter initiated terrorist attacks, including several against foreign-owned firms and their employees.  FAP assassinated executives of foreign-owned auto companies, and bombed the facilities of U.S., French, and other foreign companies with branches in Argentina.  It is clear that FAP was a supporter of the leftist elements within the Peronist movement.  In FAP's own words, the group aimed its attacks at oligarchical and imperialistic elements within Argentina.  FAP also aimed its rhetoric at the working class.  <P><br /><br /> Juan Domingo Peron eventually returned to power in September 1973.  In an interesting turn of events, upon Peron's return to power, he favored the rightist elements of the Peronist movement.  Thus, leftists groups such as FAP, who had been embroiled in a terrorist campaign for the return of Peron, were left out when Peron finally returned in 1973.