Colombia: Army targets ex-FARC dissidents in southwest June 5

Event

A military operation targeting ex-FARC dissidents, former members of the FARC guerrilla group that refused to demobilize following a peace deal reached in 2016, was carried out early Tuesday, June 5, in the southwestern department of Nariño. According to the military, six militants were killed and three minors were captured in the operation, which took place in Tumaco municipality. The leader of the group, known as “Gaucho” and a target of the operation, reportedly managed to escape.

A similar operation targeting ex-FARC dissidents was carried out on May 28 in the neighboring department of Caquetá; 11 militants were killed and two were captured in La Montañita municipality.

Context

Various armed groups are active in Nariño department, a major cocaine growing and transit point located on the border with Ecuador, including ex-FARC dissidents (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) and a dozen other organized crime groups (BACRIM) in addition to the ELN guerrilla group (Ejército de Liberación Nacional). According to the UN, there are more than 23,000 hectares (57,000 acres) of coca fields in Tumaco alone, believed to be responsible for 16 percent of all of Colombia’s coca cultivation. Numerous military operations have been carried out in recent months, on both the Colombian and Ecuadorian side of the border.

Advice

Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, the ELN, and ex-FARC dissidents - some Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country, including much of Nariño and Caquetá.