A FARC insurgent official has named Alfonso Cano, the dominant ideologist of FARC, as successor to the late commander, Manual Marulanda.

Commander Timoleon Jimenez, made the announcement in a video broadcast by the Venezuela-based Telesur network.

"We have agreed unanimously that at the head of the secretariat and as new commander of the major central state will be comrade Alfonso Cano," he said.

Guillermo Leon Saenz also known as Alfonso Cano is an important ideological leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC.

Cano is known as a more of a political leader than a military strategist and entered the FARC as a student activist, AP reported.

Earlier the Colombian government announced that the FARC founder and leader Manual Marulanda died of a heart attack. The report was later confirmed by FARC rebel commanders.

BGA/HAR