The right-hand man of arguably the most powerful FARC dissident leader has been killed in the south of Colombia, President Ivan Duque announced.
According to Blu Radio, which is run by the president’s brother-in-law, an anti-kidnapping task force carried out the operation that killed “Jeisson Orejas” in a rural part of San Jose Del Guaviare together with local police.
One of Orejas’ bodyguards was also killed and three other members of his entourage were allegedly injured.
Who is Jeisson Orejas?
Orejas, whose real name is Eduardo Herrera Sandoval, is known to have been a close associate of the man known as “Gentil Duarte” ever since they were kicked out of the FARC for refusing to take part in the peace process in 2016.
Orejas is thought to have overseen the finances of the 7th Front of what is now known as the Southwestern Bloc.
He allegedly ran extortion and drug trafficking rackets in the area and is accused of carrying out terrorist attacks against the civilian population, including bombing businesses and carrying out vicious attacks against crop substitution groups.
FARC since the peace deal
While the 2016 peace accord saw around 13,000 FARC members demobilize, Duarte, a small number of mid-ranking officers and a few dozen guerrillas rejected the terms of the deal and refused to do so and formed the Southwestern Bloc.
Although estimates vary, it is thought that around 2500 fighters have left the peace process and joined the dissident groups or formed new ones. Duarte’s collection of dissident fronts is by far the largest of all.
While rearming guerrillas have had to struggle to retake control over former FARC rackets, Duarte and his associates have been able to maintain and even expand the FARC’s former criminal activity in the south and southwest of Colombia.
The FARC dissident leader is currently the most wanted man in Colombia.