Recent Violence in Colombia
The following is an overview of the most recent violence in Colombia:
• Colombian authorities have reported that shortly after 2:00 am on November 10th, guerrilla forces began an offensive against the town of El Tambo in Cauca, leaving a police officer injured and over 80 buildings damaged. Sources have indicated that the rebel offensive included an attempted robbery of the Agrarian Bank: the official police report negates this, however. The mayor of El Tambo, Hugo Ferney Muñoz, has stated that the reason behind the attack of the town in unclear- it is well known, however, that the area is home to FARC, ELN and Los Rastrojos .
• On Sunday, November 14th, Colombian military forces and FARC rebels engaged in a bloody firefight in the northeastern department of Tamacay along the Venezuelan border. According to a report released by the Colombian military’s XVIII Brigade, the confrontation left four soldiers and eight members of FARC’s 10th Front dead. The same report also outlines two separate incidents: the killing of an unidentified guerrilla and the capture of “Ivan El Quemado” during a crackdown in Puerton Rodón.
• The biggest blow to the FARC this last week occurred on November 17th when the Colombian Air Force attacked a FARC jungle encampment along the Ecuadorian border killing 14 rebels. In a press release, President Santos cited the recent victories against the FARC, which included the killing of Jorge Brinceño and stated that “in matters of security, we will keep on going forward- we will not let down our guard and we will show the country good results.”
• In Montelíbano, six people were ambushed by armed men on horseback as they exited a public building. According to witnesses, “two people were killed upon leaving the building, another three in the street, and another in front of the police station.” Police and CTI agents in Montelíbano have both claimed that the killings were carried out by members of the right-wing paramilitary group known as “Las Aguilas Negras.”
• Similarly, six armed men are reported to have entered a popular dance club in Baranquilla and killed five people, leaving another nine injured. While many of the victims appear to have been innocent bystanders, Colombian officials claim that the violence was the product of an ongoing war between Los Rastrojos and Los Paisas, which was aggravated after the murderers shot David Alberto Barros Escorcia at the Baranquilla club. A 5 million Pesos reward is being offered for information leading to the capture of those responsible for the violence.
• On November 17th, El Tiempo reported the death of two civilians and one police officer in La Llanura (Nariño) and Toribío (Cauca) respectively. In La Llanura, insurgents are said to have detonated an explosive device and then opened fire on a crowd, leaving a young girl and her grandfather dead. According to police sources, the explosive was meant to harm police forces, which were reportedly in the area. In Cauca, beginning at 4:30 pm, the local police station was berated by mortars. Sources claim that around 6:00 pm, rebel forces began to terrorize the town. According to police reports, an hour after rebels entered the town, police forces, supported by the Colombian Air Force pushed back the rebels, leaving one police officer dead and five others injured. The rebels were reportedly members of FARC’s 6th Front.
While the first 100 days of Santos’ presidency, aside from boasting an 80% approval rating, have shown definite progress in areas of bilateral relationships with Colombia’s neighbors and significant victories against the FARC, violence continues throughout the country.
This post was written by CIP intern Johannes Schmidt.