 in the southwestern Guaviare department on Sunday. According to military authorities, the clash broke out in a remote rural area of El Retorno municipality, approximately 300 kilometers from the capital.){kind=link}
At least 27 fighters were killed in a brutal confrontation between rival splinter groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the southwestern Guaviare department on Sunday. According to military authorities, the clash broke out in a remote rural area of El Retorno municipality, approximately 300 kilometers from the capital.
The conflict centered on the control of strategic drug trafficking routes and coca production zones. Military sources confirmed that all the deceased belonged to the faction led by Nestor Gregorio Vera, notoriously known as ‘Ivan Mordisco.’ The opposing group, led by Alexander Diaz Mendoza, alias ‘Calarcá Córdoba,’ is currently engaged in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro’s government. This surge in violence highlights the fragility of Colombia’s peace efforts, as illegal mining and narcotics continue to fuel a conflict that has claimed over 450,000 lives over six decades.