Colombian Airstrikes Kill 19 Rebels in Amazon Offensive

Colombian Airstrikes Kill 19 Rebels in Amazon Offensive

Colombian military officials said Tuesday that airstrikes on a dissident guerrilla faction in the country’s Amazon region killed 19 fighters, marking one of the deadliest operations against armed groups in recent months.

Admiral Francisco Cubides confirmed that the strikes, launched at dawn on November 10, targeted members of the Central General Staff (EMC)—a powerful ex-FARC splinter group deeply involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining.

“The operation resulted in 19 terrorists killed, one person captured, and military equipment seized,” Cubides said, adding that the offensive was launched to prevent an “imminent attack” on military installations.

President Gustavo Petro said he personally authorised the “bombing and military dissolution” of the group led by Colombia’s most wanted rebel commander, known by the alias Iván Mordisco, after peace talks collapsed earlier this year.

Mordisco’s EMC faction broke away from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after the 2016 peace accord and has since expanded its control over remote areas used for cocaine production and smuggling routes.

Mounting Political Pressure

The offensive comes amid intense political pressure on Petro, who has faced criticism at home and abroad for pursuing negotiations rather than military confrontation with armed cocaine-producing groups.

In October, the United States imposed unprecedented sanctions on Petro, his wife Veronica Alcocer, his son Nicolás, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, accusing them of facilitating drug cartel operations. The sanctions included travel bans and the freezing of any assets held under US jurisdiction.

Washington did not present concrete evidence linking Petro directly to drug trafficking. However, the move placed the Colombian leader—Latin America’s first leftist president—in the same sanctions category as global drug lords, terrorist financiers, and authoritarian figures accused of human rights violations.

The diplomatic fallout also deepened tensions with former US President Donald Trump, who had previously criticised Petro’s softer approach toward narcotics networks and the scaling back of joint anti-drug operations in the region.

Policy Under Scrutiny

Since taking office in 2022, Petro has championed a strategy of “total peace,” seeking dialogue with rebel groups and crime syndicates instead of waging full-scale military campaigns.

Critics argue that this approach has emboldened guerrilla factions and criminal cartels, enabling them to expand their influence across Colombia’s jungles and border zones while cocaine production reaches record levels.

Although Petro is constitutionally barred from seeking another term, the backlash over his handling of armed groups could weaken his political coalition ahead of next year’s local and congressional elections.

Analysts say the recent airstrikes may be an attempt by Petro to counter accusations of inaction and demonstrate that his government still retains the will—and capability—to strike hard against insurgent forces threatening national security.