SÃO PAULO, Brazil – There has been a wave of guerrilla attacks against security forces and civilians in the South American nation of Colombia just as the country prepares for presidential elections at the end of this month.
Repeated assaults have been reported over the past few weeks in the southern part of the country, especially in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, involving explosions and shootings that have targeted military and police facilities in several cities.
Dissident groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym FARC) were identified by the government as being responsible for the violent operations.
A single bombing on a highway in southwestern Colombia left more than 20 people dead and nearly 50 others injured – including several children – with authorities blaming a drug lord who was once part of the FARC guerilla group for the attack, which took place on April 25.
The guerrillas placed explosives on the road and detonated them when several civilian vehicles became stranded by obstacles on the roadway. 15 women were among those killed.
Pope Leo XIV mentioned the incident on Apr. 29 during a Spanish-language greeting to pilgrims at the Vatican. He expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and urged everyone to follow the path of peace.
While the FARC reached a peace deal with the Colombian state in 2016 and laid down its weapons, some of its factions refused to take part in the process and have continued their criminal activities. One of the most active dissident groups is led by a guerrilla commander known as Iván Mordisco.
Since April, Mordisco’s guerrillas have carried out dozens of assaults in the region, causing a high number of casualties.
The worst single incident occurred on Apr. 25, when the armed dissident group blockaded a major highway near the city of Cajibío.
The attack – which FARC dissidents described as a “tactical error” – brought a counteroffensive by security forces, with Colombian Gen. Hugo López telling reporters in the wake of the attack he believes Mordisco’s network responsible for the April 25 bombing.
Government security forces have made arrests, but the guerrillas have not ceased their operations.
On May 6, police and military bases in the Cauca city of Morales were attacked. The group used drones carrying explosives to strike the facilities, injuring four soldiers and one officer. At the same time, security forces were also being targeted in the city of Suárez.
On May 7, a police base in the Valle del Cauca city of Jamundí was attacked with explosive-laden drones and bursts of gunfire.
The incident led the city government to suspend all public services, including classes in schools. Shop owners also closed their businesses.
Observers explained that the guerrilla organization has been fighting to maintain or gain control over key roads in the region, which are used to transport drugs and illegally extracted minerals.
Civilians not only end up intimidated in urban areas, but are often severely affected in rural zones, becoming literally isolated by the guerrillas.
In a statement of condolences released by the Colombian episcopate on Apr. 30, the bishops expressed special concern over the impact of the violence on vulnerable social groups, such as Indigenous peoples and peasant communities.
According to Father Álvaro Muñoz, who served as a vicar in Cajibío for 17 years and moved to Popayán – the capital of Cauca – one month ago, the atmosphere throughout the region is one of fear.
“The situation is chaotic. Unfortunately, people have lost awareness of justice and peace,” he told Crux Now.
Muñoz says the guerrillas’ goal is to spread fear among citizens.
“They want to steal democracy. We know they intensify their terror campaigns when elections are approaching,” he said.
On May 31, Colombians will vote for president. The incumbent, President Gustavo Petro – himself a left-wing former guerrilla member in the 1980s – had pledged to achieve “total peace” with guerrilla, paramilitary, and criminal organizations.
Petro has not only faced the ongoing challenge posed by FARC dissident groups in the south, but has also struggled in peace negotiations with another major organization, the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, or ELN).
On May 5, the ELN announced that it would no longer kill two officers from the Prosecutor’s Office whom it detained one year ago, but would instead keep them imprisoned for five years. The guerrilla organization also continues to hold two police officers captive since last year.
Analysts have pointed out that such events may affect the electoral process. The front-runners are left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda, who is backed by Petro, and far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who advocates ending peace talks with all armed groups in Colombia.
According to Father Héctor Henao, a longtime peace negotiator who represents the Colombian episcopate in the current peace talks, the real reason or reasons for the increase in guerilla violence is elusive.
“It is impossible to know the real motivations behind the escalation of guerrilla operations,” he said.
“The Armed Forces have launched a strong military offensive against them. These attacks may have been a reaction to that. But we cannot rule out the electoral factor,” he told Crux Now.
Henao said public security has been a constant topic during the presidential campaign – although, surprisingly, not the main one.
“People have been more concerned about corruption and healthcare,” he said.
The peace talks with different armed groups are still advancing, he added, so it is too early to define Petro’s “total peace” plan as a failure.
“Important outcomes may still emerge, even though there are enormous challenges,” Henao said.
The Church is deeply concerned about the victims, he added. Their voices have not been adequately represented in the process.
“We want to include their complaints and the concerns of affected communities as part of the peace negotiations,” he said.
Bishop Juan Carlos Barreto of the Diocese of Soacha, who heads the Social Pastoral Ministry and Caritas in Colombia, told Crux Now the Church will continue pursuing paths toward peace and social justice.
“We ask the violent actors to recognize the harm they are inflicting on the country and society’s total rejection of their criminal actions,” he said.
Barreto says Colombia must continue advancing “by promoting an integral presence of the state throughout the territories.”
“Human rights and the protection of the civilian population must be guaranteed in that scenario,” Barreto said.