Former FARC leader Rodolfo Londoño warns of rising violence in Colombia

Rodolfo Londoño, the former commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and known as "Timónesco," cautioned that hate‑filled messages could reignite violence in Colombia. His remarks responded to the newly elected president’s threats to imprison him and to dismantle key elements of the 2016 peace accord, including the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). Londoño said ex‑FARC leaders had sent a letter to President‑elect Alejandro del Espriega urging dialogue to honour the agreement, and he called for a de‑escalation of hostile rhetoric. He recalled that 13,000 former combatants handed over weapons in 2016, while a UN verification mission reports 492 of them have been killed. Londoño, sentenced in 2025 to eight years of community service for kidnapping, reaffirmed his and six other senior ex‑FARC members’ commitment to uphold the peace deal.