One of Colombia’s most wanted guerrilla leaders has been killed in a military operation, the country’s defense minister said Friday.
According to Defense Minister Diego Molano, “Ivan Mordizco” and at least nine other members of the “Southeastern Bloc” were killed after their camp in the southern Caqueta province was bombarded.
The bombardment and the subsequent ground offensive took place on Saturday.
The alleged death of one of the Southeastern Bloc’s founding commanders wasn’t announced until Friday.
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal orders government to implement peace policies
The Southeastern Bloc
Mordisco and “Gentil Duarte” formed their dissident group after the now-defunct guerrilla group FARC laid down its weapons in 2016.
Since then, the Southeastern Bloc took control of many of the territories that were abandoned by the FARC in southeastern Colombia and aligned with rearmed former FARC guerrillas in the southwest.
Duarte was killed earlier this year, allegedly while the FARC dissident leader was in Venezuela.
Guerrillas confirm death of Colombia’s most wanted FARC dissident
Guerrilla war
The Southeastern Bloc and their allies in the southwest, “Western Coordinating Command,” have been at war with FARC dissident group “Segunda Marquetalia,” of the FARC’s former political chief “Ivan Marquez” in 2019, and have also been fighting guerrilla group ELN and paramilitary organization AGC.
The resurgence of guerrilla and paramilitary groups during the administration of President Ivan Duque has surged violence to levels not seen in Colombia in decades.
According to the United Nations’ humanitarian agency in Colombia, more than 3 million people have been affected by violence and armed conflict so far this year.
Colombia subjected to worst levels of violence in decades
The increased violence during the peace process that followed the FARC’s demobilization and disarmament led to major criticism against Duque, who has refused to implement the peace deal as agreed by his predecessor, former President Juan Manuel Santos.