FARC dissident group threatens miners in Colombia's Antioquia region

A pamphlet allegedly signed by the Frente Cuatro José Antonio Galán of the Magdalena Medio block of FARC dissidents has been circulating in the municipalities of Segovia and Remedios in northeastern Antioquia. The document threatens local “machuqueros” miners, accusing them of financing the Clan del Golfo (Ejército Gaitanista de Colombia) and warning individuals linked to illegal armed groups, drug dealers or alleged criminals. The group claims a permanent presence in the area to combat criminal structures and assert territorial control.

Local residents report heightened fear, noting that miners often work for weeks in underground shafts and may be forced to give a share of their production to armed groups. Authorities have opened investigations to verify the pamphlet’s authenticity, while security forces are increasing operations following recent violence, including a massacre of four peasants in the Las Camelias hamlet of Remedios that the dissidents publicly claimed responsibility for. Efforts are underway at departmental and national levels to strengthen security and judicial inquiries to protect affected communities.