Colombia arrests FARC dissident leader and murder suspect

In Colombia, judicial and police actions have targeted high-profile criminal figures. A judge in Villavicencio ordered the imprisonment of Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as ‘Calarcá Córdoba’. He is identified as a top leader of the FARC dissidents’ Jorge Suárez Briceño Block. The prosecution alleges his involvement in various crimes across Meta, Guaviare, Caquetá, and Huila, including the murders of six peace agreement signatories, the disappearance of a merchant, and the illegal recruitment of a minor.

Separately, in the Risaralda region, authorities arrested Cristian David Cardona in Dosquebradas. Cardona is accused of the 2024 murder of his three-month-old baby. Medical examinations revealed the infant died from severe traumatic brain injury consistent with shaken baby syndrome, alongside evidence of sexual abuse. Cardona has denied the charges and has been sent to a correctional facility.