Colombia investigates a clash between FARC dissidents that left dozens dead in Guaviare

Bogotá. – Colombian authorities initiated an investigation to clarify an armed confrontation between dissident factions of the former FARC that reportedly left several guerrillas dead in a rural area of the department of Guaviare, in the south-central part of the country. According to information from the Colombian Army, the clashes occurred between the Amazonas Bloc, belonging to the structure led by alias “Iván Mordisco”, and the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc, commanded by alias “Calarcá”, two of the main factions that emerged after the demobilization of the former guerrilla. The troops deployed in the area are carrying out verification work in the Kuwait village, in the municipality of El Retorno, where the presence of several bodies was reported after the armed confrontations. According to preliminary reports, the number of deaths could exceed twenty. The authorities attribute these clashes to disputes over territorial control, mobility routes, and the illicit economies operating in the region, especially those related to drug trafficking.

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The Army reported that it is maintaining intelligence and surveillance operations in the area to establish the scope of the fighting and guarantee the safety of nearby communities, while investigations continue to fully identify the victims. Guaviare has historically been one of the areas with the greatest presence of illegal armed groups in Colombia and, after the signing of the 2016 peace agreement, became a scene of disputes between dissident organizations seeking to control strategic territories and illicit activities. Colombian authorities have warned that this type of confrontation poses a threat to the civilian population, due to the risk of forced displacement, confinement, and other effects derived from armed violence in the region.