At least 52 guerrilla fighters were killed in violent clashes between two rival armed factions battling for control of a strategic cocaine production and trafficking region in Colombia, according to a statement released by one of the groups involved.
The fighting, described as among the deadliest seen in recent months, erupted just days before Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday, where voters are set to choose a successor to President Gustavo Petro.
Authorities confirmed that clashes had taken place in the area, although the reported death toll has not been independently verified. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said troops had been deployed to protect civilians affected by the violence.
The conflict involved two dissident factions linked to the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by Nestor Gregorio Vera, better known as Ivan Mordisco, and Alexander Diaz Mendoza, also known as Calarca Cordoba.
Both factions had rejected the 2016 peace agreement that saw around 13,000 FARC members lay down their arms in an effort to end decades of conflict in the country.
General security observers note that armed groups in Colombia continue to compete for control over lucrative drug trafficking routes and illegal mining operations, despite ongoing peace initiatives and ceasefire attempts.
The clashes reportedly occurred in the jungle region of Guaviare in southeastern Colombia, near the village of Barranco Colorado, an area long associated with cocaine production activities.
While the faction led by Diaz Mendoza is currently involved in peace negotiations with the Colombian government, the group under Ivan Mordisco remains in active conflict with authorities after a bilateral ceasefire collapsed in 2024.
Earlier this month, the Central General Staff, regarded as the largest FARC dissident organisation, announced a temporary suspension of attacks against state security forces ahead of the presidential election period. However, the group clarified that the pause did not extend to confrontations with rival armed factions.
Separately, rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN) also declared a ceasefire ahead of the election weekend.
Colombia’s armed conflict, which has lasted for more than six decades and is largely funded through narcotics trafficking and illegal mining, has resulted in more than 450,000 deaths and displaced millions of people across the country.
