At least 52 guerrilla fighters have been killed in clashes between two rival armed groups in south-east Colombia, according to a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) involved in the fighting. The violence occurred in the jungles of Guaviare department, near the village of Barranco Colorado, as groups vie for control of a strategic cocaine production and trafficking region.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed the fighting on social media, as did the army, but neither provided details of the death toll. Sánchez said troops had been deployed to protect civilians. Reuters was unable to independently verify the 52 deaths reported by the Farc.
The clashes involved a dissident Farc faction led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco, and another led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as Calarcá Córdoba. Both groups rejected the 2016 peace agreement that saw about 13,000 Farc members disarm. Díaz Mendoza's group is engaged in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro, while Vera's faction remains in conflict after the government suspended a bilateral ceasefire in 2024.
Last week, the largest Farc dissident group, the Central General Staff, announced a nationwide suspension of military operations against public forces from 20 May to 10 June. However, this pause did not cover confrontations with other armed groups. Separately, the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced a ceasefire ahead of the weekend's election. Colombia's six-decade armed conflict, fuelled by drug trafficking and illegal mining, has left over 450,000 dead and millions displaced.
