27 FARC Dissidents Killed in Violent Clash Over Cocaine Corridor in Colombia

At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla faction in Colombia were killed during intense clashes with a rival group fighting for control of a strategic jungle region linked to cocaine production and trafficking, military authorities confirmed on Sunday. The confrontation, described as one of the most violent in recent months, occurred in a rural zone of El Retorno municipality in Guaviare department, around 300 km southeast of Bogotá.

According to military sources, the fighting erupted between two dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) — one led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as “Iván Mordisco,” and the other led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias “Calarcá Córdoba.” Both groups were previously part of the Central General Staff but split in April 2024 following internal disputes. Sources said all the reported deaths were from Iván Mordisco’s faction, a figure also confirmed to Reuters by a leader from the rival group.

The faction led by Calarcá Córdoba is currently in peace negotiations with President Gustavo Petro, while Iván Mordisco’s group continues armed hostilities after the government suspended a bilateral ceasefire. Colombia’s armed conflict — stretching more than six decades and fuelled largely by drug trafficking and illegal mining — has left more than 450,000 dead and displaced millions, as Petro’s efforts to secure lasting peace remain stalled.

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