Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella announced the results of a major military operation against the Carolina Ramírez Front, a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla under the command of alias “Iván Mordisco.” Speaking from Guaviare department alongside Defense Minister Jorge Mora and top military and police officials, the president said the strike, carried out in rural Miraflores, killed 23 fighters and led to the capture of six more. A minor who had been held by the group was also rescued and placed under state child-welfare protection.
Officials say the operation, code-named Azarías, represents the deadliest single hit against an armed group in Colombia since 2015, when a bombing in Guapi, in Cauca department, killed 27 FARC fighters—an event that prompted the guerrilla group to abandon a unilateral ceasefire during peace talks in Havana.
Among those killed this time was alias “Tigre” or “Pintado,” identified as the top commander of the Carolina Ramírez Front, with influence stretching across Guaviare, Amazonas, Putumayo and Caquetá. Authorities blame him for attacks on army and navy troops, the forced recruitment of children, and an ambush on a security patrol protecting voters during recent elections. A second leader, alias “Víctor,” was among those captured.
“I didn’t come to negotiate with those who kill, extort, recruit children and try to impose their law with weapons and dynamite,” De La Espriella said. “I came to defeat them.”
Curious about the full details? You can read the original report at El Tiempo.
Source: ¿Por qué la operación de bombardeo contra ‘Iván Mordisco’ supone el mayor golpe contra un grupo armado en 11 años? (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: V. Kiselev / В. Киселев, BY-SA 3.0 (via Openverse).