[REVISION HISTORY]

Colombia intensifies crackdown and ends peace talks

Updated 29 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-09 04:04 UTC → 2026-09-12 21:05 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The 2026 Colombian government offensive against dissident FARC factions, the Clan del Golfo, and the ELN has intensified, marked by significant narcotics seizures and a breakdown in negotiations. President Abelardo de la Espriella officially terminated peace negotiations with the Estado Mayor de los Bloques Magdalena Medio (EMBF), the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano (CNEB), and the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), citing a lack of genuine willingness to reach agreements. Military operations have escalated in ~~Guaviare~~ Guaviare, Nariño, and ~~surrounding regions.~~ Cauca. Following a strike in El Retorno, the government launched ‘Operación Militar Azarías’ against the Frente Carolina Ramírez, resulting in at least eight combatants killed. In ~~Caquetá,~~ El Peñol, Nariño, security forces engaged the ~~Fiscalía General de la Nación issued new charges against Héctor Orlando Bastidas Bravo, alias ‘Bonito,’~~ Franco Benavides front of the FARC dissidents (Estado Mayor Central), killing seven members and capturing five others while seizing various firearms and ammunition. In La Sierra, Cauca, authorities captured an ELN leader known as ‘el Flaco,’ a commission leader for the ~~2020 murders of peace signatories.~~ Manuel Vásquez Castaño Front allegedly linked to extortion, kidnapping, and forced recruitment. Under ‘Operación Centinela de la Patria,’ security forces killed Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel, known as ‘Bendito Menor,’ a high-ranking leader of the ACSN’s Javier Cáceres front, in Riohacha, La Guajira. ~~The operation also killed his partner, Rosa Angélica Tarazona, and two security members. The~~ His death has triggered a power struggle within the ACSN, with authorities identifying alias ~~‘Cholo’~~ ‘Cholo,’ the second-in-command, and alias ~~‘Patilizo’~~ ‘Patilizo,’ head of the Bloque Cóndor de la Sierra, as potential successors. The ACSN remains in conflict with the Clan del Golfo over Caribbean trafficking routes. The operation has sparked intense political debate. Former President Gustavo Petro questioned the necessity of lethal force, while President De La Espriella and Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez accused Petro of protecting criminals. Following the funeral in Riohacha, where armed men were seen firing weapons into the air, De La Espriella warned that authorities will pursue those attempting to maintain criminal control. Additionally, authorities reported drug seizures in Barrancabermeja, including ketamine and fentanyl. Medicina Legal has denied responsibility for graphic images of the deceased that circulated on social ~~media.~~ media, stating the photos were not taken by its personnel.

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