27 killed in clashes between guerrilla groups in Colombia

(Patria) - At least 27 members of a left-wing guerrilla group in Colombia were killed in clashes with a rival faction fighting for control of a jungle area in southwestern Colombia, military authorities reported on Sunday, Reuters reported.

The clashes, the most violent in recent months, occurred in a rural area of the municipality of El Retorno, in the department of Guaviare, 300 kilometers southwest of Bogota, a military source said.

The region is strategically important for the production and trade of cocaine. The clashes occurred between a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known by his war name Iván Mordisco, and another led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias Calarcá Córdoba, a second military source specified.

Both groups were part of the so-called Central General Staff, but split in April 2024 due to internal disputes. The victims are all from Vera's group, according to two military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The leader of Mendoza's group also confirmed the clashes and 27 deaths to Reuters.

The guerrilla faction led by Díaz Mendoza is currently in peace negotiations with President Gustavo Petro, while Vera's group continues hostilities after the government suspended the bilateral ceasefire. These now rival factions rejected the 2016 peace agreement that allowed approximately 13,000 FARC members to abandon armed struggle and reintegrate into society after disarmament.

The armed conflict in Colombia, which has lasted more than six decades and is primarily financed by drug trafficking and illegal mining, has resulted in over 450,000 deaths and millions of displaced persons, while Petro's peace efforts are currently at a standstill.