Six Colombian soldiers killed in FARC dissident attack: Army
2 years ago

Six Colombian soldiers killed in FARC dissident attack: Army

Al Jazeera  

Deadly attack by rebel dissidents takes place in Cauca, a southwestern region that has seen a surge in violence. Six Colombian soldiers have been killed in fighting with rebel dissidents in the violence-plagued southwestern region of Cauca, the country’s army said, as the government seeks to end a decades-long conflict. Colombia’s military said on Tuesday that the deaths occurred in a clash with dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a left-wing rebel group that signed a peace agreement with the government in 2016. President Gustavo Petro, who is pursuing a “total peace” plan with the South American country’s remaining armed groups, said the soldiers killed were aged 18 to 20. Since Petro took office in August as Colombia’s first left-wing president, he and his aides have met with leaders of the two main factions of FARC dissidents with an eye to setting up peace talks.

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History of this topic

Dozens of former FARC fighters abandon ‘reincorporation’ village in Colombia after death threats
4 months ago

Dozens of former FARC fighters abandon ‘reincorporation’ village in Colombia after death threats

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Dozens of former guerrilla fighters and their families were forced to abandon their village in southern Colombia on Tuesday, after receiving death threats by a rebel group that is still fighting the government, authorities said. On Tuesday more than 80 people, including former fighters, their children and their spouses, left the Miravalle area for another village — …

Colombian villagers release more than 60 soldiers who had been held captive for 3 days
4 months, 1 week ago

Colombian villagers release more than 60 soldiers who had been held captive for 3 days

Associated Press  

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Colombia’s defense ministry on Monday said 66 soldiers who had been “kidnapped” by villagers in the south of the country were released unharmed and will continue to carry out operations against rebel groups in the province of Guaviare. In a message posted on the social platform X, the defense ministry said the soldiers had been held since …

Violence intensifies in southwest Colombia as FARC holdout group attacks police and military
7 months ago

Violence intensifies in southwest Colombia as FARC holdout group attacks police and military

Hindustan Times  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Violence intensified in southwestern Colombia on Monday when a bomb blast injured six people in the city of Jamundi and an attack by insurgents on a police station in the rural town of Morales left at least two officers dead, according to police. Violence intensifies in southwest Colombia as FARC holdout group attacks police and military Colombia’s …

Colombian govt, guerrilla group resume talks to get peace process back on track
8 months ago

Colombian govt, guerrilla group resume talks to get peace process back on track

China Daily  

By JIMENA ESTEBAN in Buenos Aires, Argentina | China Daily | Updated: 2024-04-23 09:49 With peace talks between the government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, guerrilla group at an impasse, negotiators have launched an extraordinary session of negotiations to get the peace process back on track. The current round of talks in Caracas was set to …

Colombia suspends ceasefire with faction of ex-FARC rebels following attack on Indigenous community
9 months ago

Colombia suspends ceasefire with faction of ex-FARC rebels following attack on Indigenous community

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Sunday suspended a ceasefire with one of a handful of armed groups with which he hoped to negotiate peace accords, saying its fighters violated the truce by attacking an Indigenous community. Indigenous leaders in the war-torn western region of Cauca said an attack by the dissident group Saturday wounded at least three …

1 soldier killed and 12 injured in attack in Colombia blamed on drug cartel
11 months, 3 weeks ago

1 soldier killed and 12 injured in attack in Colombia blamed on drug cartel

Associated Press  

BUCARAMANGA, Colombia — One soldier was killed and 12 were injured Wednesday in an attack with explosives on a military unit in western Colombia that the army blamed on the notorious Gulf Clan drug cartel. The ministry attributed the attack to a faction of the Gulf Clan, considered by authorities to be the country’s largest active drug cartel. The governor …

Colombia signs 3-month cease-fire with FARC holdout group
1 year, 2 months ago

Colombia signs 3-month cease-fire with FARC holdout group

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s government and the rebel group known as FARC-EMC on Monday signed a three-month cease-fire and formally began peace talks, as President Gustavo Petro tries to bolster his plans to pacify rural areas ahead of regional elections that will take place at the end of October. “Peace today seems to have been eclipsed when sirens, bombs, shouts …

Colombia issues long-awaited apology for 19 extrajudicial killings during civil war
1 year, 2 months ago

Colombia issues long-awaited apology for 19 extrajudicial killings during civil war

LA Times  

Colombian Defense Minister Iván Velásquez stands with the relatives of 19 people who were falsely and fatally presented as guerrillas during the nation’s civil war. The apology comes as Colombia’s government attempts to make amends with communities affected by decades of armed conflict and broker peace deals with rebel groups that are still fighting the military in rural areas despite …

Colombia announces cease-fire with a group that split off from the FARC rebels
1 year, 3 months ago

Colombia announces cease-fire with a group that split off from the FARC rebels

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s government and one of the nation’s last remaining rebel groups announced Tuesday that they will start peace talks next month, and enter a 10-month cease-fire that is expected to decrease violence against civilians. The agreement between the Colombian government and the rebel group known as FARC-EMC comes as President Gustavo Petro tries to bolster his plans …

President Gustavo Petro’s plan for ‘total peace’ in Colombia: Takeaways from AP’s report
1 year, 3 months ago

President Gustavo Petro’s plan for ‘total peace’ in Colombia: Takeaways from AP’s report

Associated Press  

BUENAVENTURA, Colombia — Across Colombia, decades of war between leftist guerrillas, rightwing paramilitaries, trafficking groups and the government have left more than 9.5 million people – nearly 20% of the population – as victims of forced displacement, homicide, sexual violence and more. As conflict in the country grows more complex, with mutating armed groups warring for control, Colombia’s rebel-turned-president Gustavo …

President Gustavo Petro's plan for 'total peace' in Colombia: Takeaways from AP's report
1 year, 3 months ago

President Gustavo Petro's plan for 'total peace' in Colombia: Takeaways from AP's report

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As conflict in the country …

Colombia begins a six-month cease-fire with its last remaining rebel group in hopes of forging peace
1 year, 4 months ago

Colombia begins a six-month cease-fire with its last remaining rebel group in hopes of forging peace

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, formally began a six-month cease-fire Thursday as part of a process to forge a permanent peace between the government and the country’s last remaining rebel group. Petro appealed to the guerrilla leaders to leave behind deadly violence, saying that “everyone who really wants to transform this society, in today’s …

Colombian rebel group says it will stop attacks on military
1 year, 5 months ago

Colombian rebel group says it will stop attacks on military

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s largest rebel group said it will stop attacks on the nation’s military as it prepares for a ceasefire with the government that could bring both sides closer to ending five decades of war. In a statement published Tuesday, the National Liberation Army’s Central Command ordered its units across the country to “cease all offensive actions” against …

Colombia suspends rebel ceasefire after Indigenous teens killed
1 year, 7 months ago

Colombia suspends rebel ceasefire after Indigenous teens killed

Al Jazeera  

The decision targets members of the Estado Mayor Central rebel group after reports of minors being forcibly recruited. The administration of Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced it is suspending a ceasefire agreement with a rebel group accused of killing four Indigenous people in a recent attack. The government said on Monday that it will resume attacks on the Estado …

Colombia’s FARC rebel faction ready for ‘peace talks’
1 year, 8 months ago

Colombia’s FARC rebel faction ready for ‘peace talks’

Al Jazeera  

The Estado Mayor Central armed group, a FARC breakaway organisation, says it is ready to engage in peace talks with the government on May 16. An armed faction of Colombia’s disbanded FARC rebels has said they are ready to engage in peace talks with the government next month in what could mark a turning point for leftist President Gustavo Petro’s …

Militants kill 9 soldiers in attack on Colombia’s military
1 year, 8 months ago

Militants kill 9 soldiers in attack on Colombia’s military

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Militants in Colombia killed nine soldiers and wounded nine others in an attack early Wednesday on a military unit securing a northern pipeline, officials said, complicating efforts by the country’s new leftist president to negotiate a lasting peace. In addition to the attack, Patiño said, the ELN has been increasing harassing civilians in the departments of Cauca, …

Colombian rebels kill nine soldiers in blow to peace talks
1 year, 8 months ago

Colombian rebels kill nine soldiers in blow to peace talks

Al Jazeera  

Preliminary military assessment has identified the left-wing ELN as responsible for the attack in a northern province. An attack by the Colombian rebel group known as the National Liberation Army has allegedly killed nine government soldiers, in a blow to the government’s efforts to negotiate a truce with armed groups and curb violence in the country. Colombia’s internal conflict stretches …

Red Cross finds deteriorating conditions for Colombia’s civilians
1 year, 9 months ago

Red Cross finds deteriorating conditions for Colombia’s civilians

Al Jazeera  

As armed groups continue to jostle for power, the Red Cross reports a six-year high in civilians injured by explosives. A new report from the International Committee of the Red Cross has found that violence between armed groups in Colombia continues to displace and maim civilians. In their annual report on the country’s humanitarian situation, the ICRC found that while …

Colombian police seize weapons in ‘important blow’ to armed group
1 year, 11 months ago

Colombian police seize weapons in ‘important blow’ to armed group

Al Jazeera  

Colombia’s national police force has said it confiscated an arsenal of weapons, including grenades and a machine gun, belonging to dissidents from the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebel group. Though the Estado Mayor Central dissidents rejected a 2016 peace deal between Bogota and the FARC, they had agreed to a recent ceasefire with the government of left-wing President …

Colombia agrees ceasefire with main armed groups: President
1 year, 11 months ago

Colombia agrees ceasefire with main armed groups: President

Al Jazeera  

Colombia’s government has agreed to a six-month ceasefire with the five largest armed groups operating in the country, President Gustavo Petro announced on New Year’s Eve. There will be a national and international verification mechanism.” Among the groups are the leftist armed group the National Liberation Army as well as dissident groups run by former members of the now-demobilised Revolutionary …

Colombia armed groups confining people to homes, communities: NRC
2 years, 1 month ago

Colombia armed groups confining people to homes, communities: NRC

Al Jazeera  

Norwegian Refugee Council calls for ‘lasting peace’ to end restrictions on freedom of movement across Colombia. The NRC said on Thursday that millions of people are affected by six “ongoing non-international armed conflicts” in which armed groups use confinement “to exert control over isolated communities and territories that are often used for illicit activities”. “We call on the Colombian government …

Colombian government, left-wing ELN rebels launch new peace talks
2 years, 1 month ago

Colombian government, left-wing ELN rebels launch new peace talks

Al Jazeera  

New left-wing president and former rebel Gustavo Petro pushed to resume dialogue to end 60 years of war. The Colombian government and the left-wing National Liberation Army, the country’s largest remaining rebel group, launched new peace talks in neighbouring Venezuela aimed at ending nearly 60 years of conflict. The push for the talks, which resumed on Monday after they were …

Fighting between armed groups leaves 18 dead in Colombia
2 years, 1 month ago

Fighting between armed groups leaves 18 dead in Colombia

Al Jazeera  

Deadly fighting in southwest Colombia comes ahead of peace talks between National Liberation Army rebels and Gustavo Petro’s government. The fighting involved rebel dissidents who rejected a 2016 peace agreement between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government, and a criminal band that calls itself “Comandos de la Frontera” or “Border Commandos”. Negotiators from Petro’s government will resume …

Colombian officials met FARC dissidents, president’s tweet shows
2 years, 3 months ago

Colombian officials met FARC dissidents, president’s tweet shows

Al Jazeera  

Gov’t representatives have met with members of an armed group that grew out of demobilised FARC rebels, photos show. Colombian government representatives have met with members of an armed group that grew out of the demobilised FARC rebels, photos tweeted by President Gustavo Petro have shown. On his Twitter account, Petro published two photos on Sunday that appeared to show …

Seven police officers killed in Colombia explosives attack
2 years, 3 months ago

Seven police officers killed in Colombia explosives attack

Al Jazeera  

Attack is the deadliest on security forces since President Gustavo Petro took office promising to restore peace. At least seven police officers have been killed in an explosives attack in western Colombia, President Gustavo Petro has said, the deadliest attack on security forces since he took office promising to end the country’s nearly 60-year conflict. I have asked authorities to …

FARC dissident leader killed in Colombian army operation: Duque
2 years, 6 months ago

FARC dissident leader killed in Colombian army operation: Duque

Al Jazeera  

One of Colombia’s most wanted criminals, Leider Johany Noscue was killed in Cauca province, President Ivan Duque says. A leader of a criminal group made up of Colombian rebel dissidents has been killed in a military operation in the country’s southwest, President Ivan Duque said. Leider Johany Noscue, a dissident from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which laid down …

Colombia: Former army officials admit role in killing civilians
2 years, 7 months ago

Colombia: Former army officials admit role in killing civilians

Al Jazeera  

Ex-army officials tell special tribunal they participated in so-called ‘false positive’ killings of over 100 civilians. “After years of silence and fear, the time for truth has finally arrived, to put an end to decades of impunity,” the JEP said in a video shared before the ex-military officials’ statements. Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti, reporting from the capital Bogota, said “truly …

Colombian army says 6 soldiers killed in attack in northwest
2 years, 8 months ago

Colombian army says 6 soldiers killed in attack in northwest

Al Jazeera  

Authorities blame alleged drug traffickers from the Gulf Clan for the attack in Colombia’s northwest. At least six Colombian soldiers have been killed in a bombing in the country’s northwest, the army said, attributing the attack to accused drug traffickers who are active in the area. Another five soldiers were injured and one remains missing after the attack, which took …

UN rights office urges Colombia to prosecute over deadly raid
2 years, 8 months ago

UN rights office urges Colombia to prosecute over deadly raid

Al Jazeera  

Colombia say March operation targeted rebel dissidents, but rights groups reported at least four civilians were killed. The United Nations’s human rights body has urged Colombia to prosecute those responsible for a military raid that resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including four civilians that community members say were passed off as fighters. “We recommend that all disciplinary and …

Venezuela’s army collaborated with Colombian rebel groups: HRW
2 years, 8 months ago

Venezuela’s army collaborated with Colombian rebel groups: HRW

Al Jazeera  

Human Rights Watch has accused Venezuelan soldiers of conducting joint operations with Colombian rebels in Venezuela’s Apure state earlier this year, amid a “dramatic increase” in violence along a remote and often lawless stretch of the Colombia-Venezuela border. “Armed groups are committing brutal abuses against civilians in the Colombia-Venezuela border area, in some cases with the complicity of Venezuelan security …

Colombia says at least 23 FARC dissidents killed in operation
2 years, 10 months ago

Colombia says at least 23 FARC dissidents killed in operation

Al Jazeera  

At least 23 dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebel group were killed during an operation by the Colombian armed forces along the Venezuelan border, the defence ministry said. “This operation forcefully dismantles the FARC dissident structure,” Colombian defence minister Diego Molano said in a video published on social media. Former FARC dissidents, as well as members of …

Indigenous activists’ deaths highlight surging Colombia conflict
2 years, 10 months ago

Indigenous activists’ deaths highlight surging Colombia conflict

Al Jazeera  

This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. “All of this has happened due to competition over territorial control to carry out drug trafficking,” said Samuel Cucuname, a member of the guard and Breiner’s father, standing beside his son’s grave at the burial, which the Nasa people refer to as “planting” someone back to the …

Colombia: At least 23 dead in clashes between armed rebel groups
2 years, 11 months ago

Colombia: At least 23 dead in clashes between armed rebel groups

Al Jazeera  

Bogota, Colombia – Violent confrontations between Colombian rebel groups near the country’s border with Venezuela have left at least 23 people dead, Defence Minister Diego Molano told a news conference late on Monday. The ombudsman’s office expressed “deep concern for the escalation of the armed conflict in Arauca due to the confrontation between illegal armed groups that put the civilian …

Colombia: Ex-soldiers take responsibility for killing 227
3 years ago

Colombia: Ex-soldiers take responsibility for killing 227

Al Jazeera  

Twenty-one former soldiers admit to participating in so-called ‘false positive’ killings, special tribunal says. Twenty-one former Colombian soldiers and one civilian have accepted responsibility for the forced disappearance and subsequent murder of at least 227 people, the country’s transitional justice tribunal has said. “I express my regret for the great pain caused by abominable acts committed … which led to …

Colombia troop deployment at Venezuela border raises questions
3 years, 2 months ago

Colombia troop deployment at Venezuela border raises questions

Al Jazeera  

Bogota, Colombia – Colombia has sent 14,000 soldiers to its border with Venezuela, which is reopening this week after a three-year closure, in a move rights groups and political analysts say could fuel tensions between the countries. This week, however, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez expressed optimism at the border’s reopening, saying on Monday that the decision was made after …

Top ELN rebel commander dies after bombing, Colombia gov’t says
3 years, 2 months ago

Top ELN rebel commander dies after bombing, Colombia gov’t says

Al Jazeera  

ELN leader Angel Padilla Romero, known by alias Fabian, died in hospital after a military bombing, defence minister says. Angel Padilla Romero, known by his alias Fabian, headed the ELN’s Western Front and died in a hospital in Cali, the country’s third-largest city, Defence Minister Diego Molano told reporters on Tuesday. “We have made the hardest hit against the ELN …

Haiti leader’s slaying exposes role of ex-Colombian soldiers
3 years, 5 months ago

Haiti leader’s slaying exposes role of ex-Colombian soldiers

Associated Press  

BUCARAMANGA, Colombia — As the coronavirus pandemic squeezed Colombia, the Romero family was in need of money to pay the mortgage. So for both sides, supply and demand, we believe that it works well.” Sean McFate, a former U.S. Army paratrooper and private military contractor who has written about mercenaries, said Colombians are generally on par with U.S. and British …

Colombia: Nine dead in separate attacks amid escalating violence
3 years, 5 months ago

Colombia: Nine dead in separate attacks amid escalating violence

Al Jazeera  

Three separate attacks come after helicopter carrying President Ivan Duque was fired at near border with Venezuela on Friday. At least nine people, including four police officers, have died in three separate attacks across Colombia, which has seen a recent surge in violence and instability in several parts of the country. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for …

Colombia rebel group claims leader ‘Jesus Santrich’ slain
3 years, 7 months ago

Colombia rebel group claims leader ‘Jesus Santrich’ slain

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — A rebel leader who abandoned the 2016 peace accord with Colombia’s government and had been at large for three years was killed by Colombian troops in Venezuela, his new armed group said Tuesday. In a statement posted on its website, Santrich’s new rebel group, the Second Marquetalia Movement, said the 53-year-old insurgent was killed Monday by a …

Eight Venezuelan soldiers killed in clashes on Colombian border
3 years, 7 months ago

Eight Venezuelan soldiers killed in clashes on Colombian border

Al Jazeera  

The defence ministry made the announcement two days after it reported fierce fighting with ‘irregular Colombian armed groups’. Eight Venezuelan soldiers have been killed in clashes with armed groups operating on the Colombian border, doubling the toll since an offensive against the combatants started in March, the defence ministry in Caracas said. The ministry announced the names of the soldiers …

Venezuelan offensive sends thousands of civilians into Colombia
3 years, 8 months ago

Venezuelan offensive sends thousands of civilians into Colombia

Al Jazeera  

The military now faces serious human rights abuse accusations which include extrajudicial killings as well as beatings and arbitrary detentions. Intense and continual armed clashes between the elite Venezuela military unit, known as FANB, and Colombian rebel dissident groups have taken place in various small border towns of Apure state since March 21. “We don’t understand this war … it’s …

Venezuela: Two soldiers killed by land mine near Colombia border
3 years, 8 months ago

Venezuela: Two soldiers killed by land mine near Colombia border

Al Jazeera  

The explosion also left nine members of Venezuela’s military injured, the defence ministry says. Venezuela on Thursday said two of its soldiers were killed by a land mine during operations to confront armed groups along the Colombian border that have forced the displacement of thousands of civilians. The news follows a March 22 announcement by the government of President Nicolas …

Colombia accuses FARC dissidents of car bomb that injured dozens
3 years, 8 months ago

Colombia accuses FARC dissidents of car bomb that injured dozens

Al Jazeera  

Bombing in Corinto on Friday injured 43 people, including several public officials, defence minister says. The government of Colombia has accused dissidents of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia of detonating a car bomb on Friday that injured dozens of people including several public officials. Defence Minister Diego Molano said early on Saturday that 43 people were injured in …

Venezuela says six members of ‘armed groups’ killed near Colombia
3 years, 8 months ago

Venezuela says six members of ‘armed groups’ killed near Colombia

Al Jazeera  

Thousands are displaced after Venezuela military launched operation against ‘armed groups’ near Colombian border. Venezuela’s defence ministry has said six fighters belonging to “irregular Colombian armed groups” have been killed in a military operation near the Venezuela-Colombia border, which has displaced thousands of civilians since last Sunday. In a statement on Saturday, the department said 39 additional fighters were taken …

Thousands of Venezuelans flee to Colombia amid violence on border
3 years, 9 months ago

Thousands of Venezuelans flee to Colombia amid violence on border

Al Jazeera  

Venezuela’s military says it is fighting Colombian armed groups in rural areas, Colombia says people ‘forcibly displaced’. More than 3,100 people in 780 families make up the group, which began arriving in the Colombian municipality of Arauquita starting on Monday because of the military operations, Colombia’s migration agency said. On Wednesday Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced attacks by Colombia …

Colombia military operation kills 10 FARC dissidents
3 years, 9 months ago

Colombia military operation kills 10 FARC dissidents

Al Jazeera  

Colombian army bombs a base housing dissidents from the former FARC rebel group in Calamar, southeast Colombia. Bombing by the Colombian military has killed 10 and injured three at a base used by dissidents from the former FARC armed group in southeast Colombia, according to the minister. Defence Minister Diego Molano said on Twitter on Tuesday the military action had …

Killings of Colombia ex-FARC fighters persist amid peace process
3 years, 11 months ago

Killings of Colombia ex-FARC fighters persist amid peace process

Al Jazeera  

Since FARC fighters disarmed in 2017 as part of the peace deal, a total of 253 have been killed, including four already in 2021. The current right-wing government of President Ivan Duque Marquez – which came to power in 2018 – has unsuccessfully fought to change the peace deal’s lenient punishments for former FARC fighters. “They’ve killed four already this …

UN envoy says ex-FARC fighters in Colombia being killed
4 years, 2 months ago

UN envoy says ex-FARC fighters in Colombia being killed

Al Jazeera  

At least 19 former combatants from the leftist group, which signed a peace deal in 2016, have been killed in past three months, UN says. Ruiz Massieu told the Security Council that the FARC’s laying down of arms and its transition into a political party has been completed and is “irreversible.” But he said the reintegration of FARC members into …

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