Clashes in Colombia between rival rebel groups kill 27 people

The 2 groups person been warring for power of the Guaviare portion of the Amazon, a portion strategical for cocaine accumulation and trafficking.

At slightest 27 members of a leftist rebel radical person been killed successful clashes successful cardinal Colombia with a rival faction, according to subject authorities, astatine a clip of heightened hostility successful the portion nether the pall of United States subject enactment successful Venezuela and threats against Colombia.

The clashes, which person been the astir convulsive successful caller months, occurred connected Sunday successful the agrarian country of the municipality of El Retorno, successful the Guaviare portion of the Amazon, 300km (186 miles) southeast of Bogota, a subject root told the Reuters quality agency.

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The service said connected Saturday connected X that the combat was chiefly astir power of territory, arsenic the portion is strategical for cocaine accumulation and trafficking.

The clashes took spot betwixt a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) led by the country’s astir wanted man, Nestor Gregorio Vera, known by his warfare sanction Ivan Mordisco, and different led by Alexander Diaz Mendoza, alias Calarca Cordoba, a 2nd subject root specified.

Both groups were portion of the alleged Central General Staff but separated successful April 2024 owed to interior disputes. The casualties were each from Vera’s group, according to the 2 subject sources, who spoke connected information of anonymity. A person from Diaz’s radical besides confirmed the clashes and the 27 deaths to Reuters.

Army sources said the decease toll was preliminary.

The faction led by Diaz is presently engaged successful bid talks with left-wing President Gustavo Petro, portion Vera’s radical continues to motorboat attacks connected civilians and information forces aft the authorities suspended a bilateral ceasefire. These now-rival factions had rejected a 2016 bid statement that allowed astir 13,000 FARC members to wantonness equipped conflict and reintegrate into nine aft disarming.

With elections 4 months distant and the absorption accusing him of being soft, Petro has accrued unit connected rebel groups.

In November, authorities forces staged an onslaught that killed 19 Mordisco followers.

Petro has likened the elusive Mordisco to the precocious cocaine baron Pablo Escobar.

The president has clashed loudly of precocious with the United States implicit Venezuela arsenic tensions grew betwixt the 2 longstanding allies.

Petro has traded harsh words with President Donald Trump aft the second threatened to travel up the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with an onslaught to topple oregon termination Petro.

But past week, the 2 leaders calmed tensions, speaking and agreeing to enactment unneurotic to combat cause trafficking.

Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), a left-wing rebel radical and the nation’s largest remaining rebel force, has been preparing for conflict amid Trump’s involution threats.

Colombia’s equipped conflict, spanning implicit six decades and chiefly financed by cause trafficking and amerciable mining, has resulted successful much than 450,000 deaths and millions displaced, with Petro’s bid efforts presently stalled.