The Colombian armed forces say they found a jungle camp that served as the home base of FARC commander ‘Mono Jojoy’.
The jungle camp was located primarily in caves and according to authorities stashed with landmines and medical supplies.
According to the Armed Forces, they had been looking for this specific camp for five years in their hunt for ‘Mono Jojoy’, once of the seven members of the FARC secretariat.
“They used to feel safe … now they are living in caves they use to
hide away,” said Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, showing a group
of reporters the caves in La Macarena region in Meta province, to the
southeast of Bogota.
Troops were led to the caves after a tip-off from a FARC deserter.
Reporters at the site were shown weapons, landmines, surgical equipment
and explosives discovered in camps surrounding the caves.
The camp was found located in La Macarena in the Meta department.
According to National Police commander Freddy Padilla, the find doesn’t mean that ‘Mono Jojoy’ is close to being found, “but we are talking to people of the FARC who are under his order.”
Padilla took the opportunity to again call on the FARC commander to surrender to authorities and allow those below him to demobilize and “stop committing crimes, putting out mines, recruiting peasants.”
The Colombian army on the same day announced the capture of one of the FARC’s most wanted commanders. ‘El Negro Antonio’ was caught after heaving fighting between soldiers and guerrillas that killed at least eight guerrillas and one member of the armed forces.