Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Latin Times
Latin Times
World
Demian Bio

Colombian army resumes military operations against rebel guerrillas after ceasefire ends

A member of Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group is seen near the Baudo river -- AFP was invited to interview a rebel commander in an ELN stronghold. (Credit: AFP)

Colombian armed forces resumed their operations against a prominent guerrilla in the country, the National Liberation Army (ELN for its acronym in Spanish) after a ceasefire agreement ended without being renewed.

Defense Minister Iván Velasquez confirmed the news, saying that "offensive operations are back on and that is the order of the commander of the military, also of the director of national police."

Parts of the ceasefire had already collapsed, as the ELN had resumed kidnappings, a feared practice that provides financing for the group. According to Reuters, the remaining aspects broke down "due to the group's radical positions, diffuse chain of command and dissent in its ranks."

The development could lead to further violence against civilians, already rising throughout the year, an analysis by InSight Crime shows.

Between January and May 2024, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a 36% inter-annual increase in the number of people displaced. Additionally, there was a 171% rise in people experiencing confinement and a 13.8% increase in those affected by conflict. By late June, 53,600 people had been affected by confinement and 29,200 by mass displacement.

The Pacific region, encompassing the departments of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, and Nariño, has been particularly affected by violence this year, with criminal disputes causing increased harm to civilians.

In Chocó, the ELN and the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) have been engaged in conflict over drug trafficking and illegal mining for years.

In Cauca and Nariño, the ELN and dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), known as the ex-FARC mafia, are fighting for control of areas crucial to the drug trafficking chain, from coca cultivation to cocaine processing and maritime drug departure ports.

The armed and criminal groups have also deepened their social control through measures such as issuing IDs to inhabitants and imposing mobility restrictions in various departments. These measures allow the groups to maintain territorial control and mobilize resources without major impediments, contributing to the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Colombia, the report concluded.

An illustrating incident took place in June, when family members of Colombia's vice president were almost assassinated. On June 16, men on motorcycles opened fire on a vehicle carrying Sigifredo Márquez, the father of Vice President Francia Márquez, and her six-year-old nephew near Jamundí, Valle del Cauca. The pair escaped unharmed.

The outlet recalled other incidents, saying they are part of a broader pattern of violence by EMC groups in these departments, including assaults on police stations, military helicopters, and the use of motorcycle bombs and explosives, resulting in numerous casualties.

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.