Abelardo de la Espriella Announces Six Dead in Chocó Strike
“Temos seis abatidos, um capturado, mas há mais. O que acontece é que era em uma encosta, e estamos buscando mais corpos,” declared Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella regarding a military air raid in the department of Chocó. The offensive targeted the Clan del Golfo, the nation’s largest cocaine trafficking organization. Executed by units of the Comando contra o Narcotráfico e Ameaças Transnacionais (CONAT) in coordination with the Air Force, the operation marks the sixth aerial bombardment ordered by the administration since taking office on August 7, according to records. The government local stated that the actions aim at armed organizations that finance themselves through drug trafficking and illegal mining.
Tribunal Superior de Bogotá Revokes Bombing Restrictions
Hours before the strike, the Tribunal Superior de Bogotá annulled a prior judicial decision that had placed strict limitations on military airstrikes. The earlier measure, approved in mid-September, had mandated heightened caution and outright prohibitions whenever intelligence indicated the presence of minors recruited by armed groups. Government figures noted that eight minors had previously died in such operations, prompting the legal restrictions, which had been verified by the director of the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. With the legal barrier removed, the presidency proceeded with the Chocó operation, maintaining that the strikes comply with the Constitution, national law, and international humanitarian law.
Strategic Operations and International Backing in Northwest Corridors
The targeted department of Chocó serves as a vital northwestern jungle corridor utilized for moving cocaine shipments toward international markets in the United States and Europe. Security forces seized an arsenal of weapons, explosives, and ammunition intended for attacks against the public force and local civilians. Meanwhile, the administration’s security campaign relies on foreign cooperation. Washington has announced the deployment of 300 United States soldiers to Colombia to conduct joint counter-narcotics combat training, reinforcing the hardline security strategy pursued by the current administration against groups that rejected the 2016 peace accord.
ELN Bombing in El Tambo Eliminates Insurgent Leadership
In a separate strategic military bombardment carried out in the rural area of El Tambo in the department of Cauca, nine alleged members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas were killed. President Abelardo de la Espriella stated on the social media platform X that the operation targeted Marcos Pacífico, described as a high-value target and a top leader whose identity remains subject to fingerprint confirmation. According to the president, the individual served as the second-in-command and military chief of the ELN’s Sudoeste War Front, headed the José María Becerra Front, and directed three narco-terrorist fronts operating across the southwestern provinces of Cauca, Nariño, and Valle do Cauca, besides being linked to kidnappings and attacks against public forces in Cali and Buenaventura. Prior to the strike, General Eduardo Mora requested authorization from the president via a video recording shared on X to launch the strategic attack. The ELN represents the continent’s oldest guerrilla movement with over six decades of activity, having previously engaged in peace negotiations under former left-wing Gustavo Petro without reaching an agreement.
