New FARC attacks have continued over the weekend in various regions of Colombia despite the announcement of peace negotiations.
Guerrilla attacks were registered in the northwest Antioquia and southwest Cauca departments between Saturday and Sunday leaving two dead, several others hurt, and close to 90 houses affected.
According to RCN Radio, an attack against a military patrol in Antioquia between the municipalities of Toledo and San Andres de Cuerquia left two soldiers dead and another injured. Authorities attribute the act to the FARC’s 36th Front.
Another attack on an energy tower in the Anori municipality of Antioquia left the population of the northeast of the department without light.
Newspaper El Pais reported that alleged FARC rebels of the 60th Front placed explosives around the village of Balboa in the Cauca department where soldiers and police were expected to pass. The commander of the department’s police, Ricardo Augusto Alarcon, reported that the explosives left at least two civilians hurt and approximately 90 houses affected in two of the village’s neighborhoods.
Alarcon also reported that guerrillas left a FARC banner on one of the houses and when soldiers tried to remove it they were harrassed by rebels.
Other versions of the story indicated that officials of the region left the area after receiving death threats.
A military member announced that given these acts, protective measures will be taken. Allegedly, the hurt civilians are not in a grave state and are currently receiving attention in the locality’s hospital.
Another attack was registered in Cauca in the eastern municipality of Inza, where a bus was incinerated by alleged guerrillas. Nobody had been in the vehicle at the time and only material damage was reported.
Despite President Juan Manuel Santos‘ announcement of “exploratory negotiations” to come to peace with the FARC to end the nearly 48-years of armed conflict, it seems that attacks continue in accordance with the increased violence of the past months.