Jungle Clashes: A Battle for Control in Colombia

In southwestern Colombia, at least 27 guerrilla group members were killed in clashes between rival factions over a strategic jungle area. The conflict involved factions of the FARC, highlighting continued violence despite past peace agreements. Efforts for peace talks are ongoing, but challenges remain significant.

At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla group in Colombia perished during fierce clashes with a rival faction over control of a jungle region in southwestern Colombia, military officials reported on Sunday. The violent confrontations occurred in the rural municipality of El Retorno, Guaviare, situated 300 kilometers southwest of Bogotá, according to a military source.

This region holds strategic importance for cocaine production and trafficking. According to military sources, the clashes unfolded between a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) under Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco, and another led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias Calarcá Córdoba. Both groups had diverged from the Central General Staff in April 2024 due to internal disputes.

The fatalities were all from Vera's group, said military sources who spoke anonymously. A leader from Mendoza's group confirmed the clashes and the deaths to Reuters. Mendoza's faction currently engages in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro, while Vera's group maintains hostilities after the government suspended a bilateral ceasefire. Meanwhile, Colombia's protracted armed conflict, exacerbated by drug trafficking and illegal mining, continues to hamper peace efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)