FORMER guerilla leader Rodrigo Londono, known widely as Timochenko, has vowed not to give up his presidential election campaign run in favour of former Bogota mayor Gustavo Petro.

Timochenko, who led the Farc liberation movement and heads a political party with the same acronym, has suffered verbal and physical abuse during campaigning.

Over 50 members of his Revolutionary Alternative Force for the Commons have been assassinated by far-right death squads.

Farc has also endured a lack of cash to fund its activity, having been denied state finance because of delays in receiving court authorisation to register as a party.

“We continue in the campaign. I'm not going to give up the candidacy because that was a task that gave me the game and as such I assume it,” the former fighter declared on Wednesday.

Mr Petro was an M-19 guerilla group member in the 1980s and heads the field for the May 22 presidential elections.