Born into an upper-class family in Bogotá, Cano began his studies in anthropology at the National University of Colombia in 1968, where he became a member and leader of the Communist Youth.
Cano blev født ind i en middelklassefamilie, han begyndte at studere antropologi ved National University of Colombia i 1968, hvor han blev medlem og ledende i det kommunistiske colombianske ungdomsforbund.