Violence erupts in Colombian Amazon as rival rebel groups clash, leaving at least 27 dead. The latest bloodshed occurred on Sunday in the rural area of El Retorno municipality, Guaviare region, roughly 300km southeast of Bogota.
According to military sources, the conflict is primarily over control of territory, with the region's strategic importance lying in its connection to cocaine production and trafficking. The fight pits a faction led by infamous rebel leader Nestor Gregorio Vera, alias Ivan Mordisco, against another faction spearheaded by Alexander Diaz Mendoza, also known as Calarca Cordoba.
The casualties were all members of Vera's group, with the military sources maintaining that a death toll is preliminary. Diaz's group has been engaged in peace talks with left-wing President Gustavo Petro, while Vera's followers have continued to launch attacks on civilians and security forces, following the government's suspension of bilateral ceasefire.
This renewed violence comes as Colombia approaches elections four months away, with opposition leaders accusing Petro of being soft on rebel groups. In November, government forces staged an attack that killed 19 Mordisco followers, further straining relations between Colombia and the US.
The president has repeatedly clashed with US President Donald Trump over Venezuela, trading harsh words after the latter threatened to follow up the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with an attack aimed at toppling or killing Petro. However, the two leaders calmed tensions last week, agreeing to work together to combat drug trafficking.
Colombia's six-decade-long armed conflict has resulted in over 450,000 deaths and millions displaced, with Petro's peace efforts currently stalled. The violence is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges facing Colombia, where left-wing rebel groups continue to pose a threat to civilians and security forces alike.
According to military sources, the conflict is primarily over control of territory, with the region's strategic importance lying in its connection to cocaine production and trafficking. The fight pits a faction led by infamous rebel leader Nestor Gregorio Vera, alias Ivan Mordisco, against another faction spearheaded by Alexander Diaz Mendoza, also known as Calarca Cordoba.
The casualties were all members of Vera's group, with the military sources maintaining that a death toll is preliminary. Diaz's group has been engaged in peace talks with left-wing President Gustavo Petro, while Vera's followers have continued to launch attacks on civilians and security forces, following the government's suspension of bilateral ceasefire.
This renewed violence comes as Colombia approaches elections four months away, with opposition leaders accusing Petro of being soft on rebel groups. In November, government forces staged an attack that killed 19 Mordisco followers, further straining relations between Colombia and the US.
The president has repeatedly clashed with US President Donald Trump over Venezuela, trading harsh words after the latter threatened to follow up the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with an attack aimed at toppling or killing Petro. However, the two leaders calmed tensions last week, agreeing to work together to combat drug trafficking.
Colombia's six-decade-long armed conflict has resulted in over 450,000 deaths and millions displaced, with Petro's peace efforts currently stalled. The violence is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges facing Colombia, where left-wing rebel groups continue to pose a threat to civilians and security forces alike.
the fact that people are dyin because of some stupid turf war is just awful. i mean we've been hearin about colombia's conflict for years now & it's still goin on. 450,000 deaths?! that's insane 
and now with elections comin up, it feels like nobody's gonna do anythin to stop this violence. calarca cordoba is a rebel leader tryna make peace, but his faction keeps launchin attacks on civilians 
meanwhile mordisco's followers are just dyin in the streets 
it's like, can't we all just get along? 
I'm all for bringing those involved to justice, but can't we find a way to resolve this without so much bloodshed? Colombia deserves better than this. They've been dealing with conflict for decades, it's time for a change 
. I'm keeping my eye on the elections in four months, hoping that someone comes out and really addresses these issues 
. it's no wonder ppl are accusing petro of being soft on rebel groups tho, cuz these factions keep attacking civilians & security forces 
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. over 450k dead & millions displaced... that's some serious trauma 
. and now with elections coming up, ppl are all like "ok what's gonna happen next?" 
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The cocaine trade is huge, I get that, but at what cost? 
The US is involved too, but Trump's just trying to distract everyone from his own problems. What's gonna happen in four months when the elections come around? More violence? More bloodshed? 
. dont get me wrong, petro n all r tryin to make a change but its hard when u got rival groups fightin over territory n coke production 
. and now opposition leaders r sayin petro's bein too soft on rebels lol like what can u do? the gov & us is always goin back n forth on venezuela nd trump s all like "u gotta deal w/ petro" 
this is so sad... these people on both sides are just trying to survive but we end up losing lives 
but the rebel groups keep causing all this chaos 
The cycle of violence just keeps going & going... it's like we're stuck on repeat 
Colombia needs a fresh start! 
Colombia has been through so much for six decades now... 450k+ deaths & millions displaced 
Colombia's problems just keep piling up, ya know? 450k+ deaths and millions displaced... it's like, how many lives gotta be lost before we get our act together? 
it's disgusting. And don't even get me started on the US-Colombia relations - how can they keep trading blows over Venezuela while their own backyard's burning 
these rebels need to stop all this violence and start working towards a peaceful future, you know? 
but noooo instead we got more people getting killed and Petro's peace efforts are basically stalled 
and what really gets me is that these rebels think they're fighting for something, like a cause or ideology, but in reality they're just causing chaos and hurting innocent people 
it's time for them to grow up and realize there are better ways to achieve their goals 
, what's Petro gonna do about it? 
.
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27 dead in colombia, man that's crazy. i'm shocked they had 19 killed by government forces in november already. didn't realize things were getting this intense. seems like both sides are just playing for the elections now?