Control of cocaine production zones means control of revenue, and revenue means power.
In the coca-rich jungles of Guaviare, southeastern Colombia, two factions born from the same revolutionary movement turned their weapons on one another, leaving at least 52 fighters dead near Barranco Colorado. The clash is not a rupture of ideology but of territory — a contest over cocaine production routes that sustains a conflict now six decades old and responsible for more than 450,000 deaths. That one faction sits at the peace table with President Petro while the other wages open war against the state — and both wage war against each other — speaks to the profound fragmentation of a country still searching for the shape of its own peace.
- At least 52 guerrilla fighters were killed in jungle fighting between two dissident Farc factions competing for control of a strategic cocaine production zone in Guaviare — one of the bloodiest confrontations in recent months.
- The two factions share a common origin: both rejected the 2016 peace agreement, yet one has since entered negotiations with President Petro while the other remains at open war with the Colombian state, making their rivalry as much about survival as territory.
- A nationwide suspension of military operations announced by the largest dissident Farc group days before the clashes contained a critical loophole — the pause applied only to confrontations with state forces, leaving inter-group battles entirely unconstrained.
- The Colombian government deployed troops to protect civilians and Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged the violence publicly, but neither the state nor independent observers have been able to confirm the death toll reported by one of the factions.
- The fighting lands against a backdrop of a 60-year conflict sustained by drug trafficking and illegal mining, with multiple armed groups maintaining military operations even as selective ceasefire announcements create the appearance of progress toward peace.
In the dense jungle of Guaviare, where coca grows thick and the drug trade runs deep, two armed factions that once fought as one turned their guns on each other. At least 52 guerrilla fighters died near Barranco Colorado — a toll reported by one of the groups involved but unconfirmed by the Colombian government or independent observers. The clashes represent the most violent confrontation in recent months between rival factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Both factions rejected the 2016 peace agreement that allowed some 13,000 Farc members to disarm. But their paths have since diverged sharply. The group led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as Calarcá Córdoba, entered peace negotiations with President Gustavo Petro. The faction led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco, remained at war with the state — and the government suspended a bilateral ceasefire with Vera's group in 2024. The battle in Guaviare is not ideological; it is a contest over cocaine production routes and the revenue they generate.
The timing adds a layer of bitter irony. Just days before the clashes, the largest dissident Farc group announced a nationwide pause in military operations against Colombia's armed forces, running from May 20 through June 10. The announcement carried a crucial caveat: the ceasefire applied only to confrontations with state forces, not to battles between rival armed groups. Fighting in Guaviare could continue unimpeded.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged the violence and announced troop deployments to protect civilians, but the army offered no details on casualties or scale. The contrast is stark — one Farc faction negotiating with the president, another waging war in the jungle, and both willing to fight each other for control of drug routes. It is a reminder that peace in Colombia remains conditional and fragmented, set against a conflict that has killed more than 450,000 people and displaced millions over six decades.
In the dense jungle of Guaviare, a department in southeastern Colombia where coca plants grow thick and the drug trade runs deep, two armed factions that once fought together turned their guns on each other. At least 52 guerrilla fighters died in the fighting near Barranco Colorado, according to one of the groups involved—a death toll that neither the Colombian government nor independent observers have been able to confirm. The clashes mark the most violent confrontation in recent months between factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, a group that has shaped the country's conflict for more than sixty years.
The two sides fighting for control of this strategic cocaine production zone represent a fracture in what was supposed to be a path toward peace. One faction is led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco, and the other by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, called Calarcá Córdoba. Both men rejected the 2016 peace agreement that allowed roughly 13,000 Farc members to disarm and lay down their weapons. Yet their trajectories have diverged sharply since then. Díaz Mendoza's group has entered into peace negotiations with President Gustavo Petro, while Vera's faction has remained at war with the state. The government suspended a bilateral ceasefire with Vera's group in 2024, effectively ending any pretense of negotiation.
The fighting itself unfolded in the jungle, away from the eyes of journalists and international monitors. Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged on social media that clashes had occurred in the area and announced that troops had been deployed to protect civilians. The army issued similar statements but offered no details about casualties or the scale of the violence. Reuters, the news agency, was unable to independently verify the 52 deaths reported by the Farc faction involved in the fighting.
The timing of the violence is significant. Just days before the clashes, the Farc's largest dissident group, known as the Central General Staff, announced a nationwide suspension of military operations against Colombia's armed forces, to run from May 20 through June 10. But the announcement contained a crucial caveat: the pause applied only to operations against state forces, not to confrontations with rival armed groups. This distinction meant that battles like the one in Guaviare could continue unimpeded. The National Liberation Army, another major guerrilla organization, also announced a separate ceasefire around the same time.
These ceasefires, however temporary and limited, sit against the backdrop of a conflict that has consumed Colombia for more than six decades. The war has killed more than 450,000 people and displaced millions from their homes. It is sustained almost entirely by the drug trade and illegal mining operations—the very activities that make places like Guaviare so fiercely contested. Control of cocaine production zones means control of revenue, and revenue means power. The fighting between Vera and Díaz Mendoza is not ideological; it is territorial and economic.
The government's decision to deploy troops to the area signals an acknowledgment that violence is escalating even as peace talks continue with some factions. The contrast is stark: one Farc group negotiating with the president while another wages war in the jungle, and both willing to fight each other for control of drug trafficking routes. It is a reminder that peace in Colombia remains fragmented and conditional, dependent on which armed group you are dealing with and what they stand to gain or lose.
Citações Notáveis
The clashes mark the most violent confrontation in recent months between factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.— Government and military reports
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why would two groups that fought together for decades suddenly turn on each other now?
Because the 2016 peace agreement split the Farc. Some accepted it and disarmed. Others rejected it and stayed armed. Now the ones who stayed armed are competing for the same territory and the same cocaine money. It's not about ideology anymore—it's about who controls the jungle.
So the government is negotiating with one faction while fighting the other?
Exactly. Díaz Mendoza's group is in talks with President Petro. Vera's group rejected those talks and the government cut off their ceasefire in 2024. They're enemies now. But they're also both Farc, which makes the situation messy and unpredictable.
What does controlling Guaviare actually mean in practical terms?
It means controlling the cocaine supply chain in that region. You tax the producers, you control the trafficking routes, you have leverage over other armed groups. It's worth millions. That's why they're willing to kill each other over it.
Are these ceasefires actually holding?
Only partially. The Central General Staff announced a pause in operations against the government, but not against rival groups. So they can still fight each other. It's a ceasefire designed to look good while allowing the war to continue in a different form.
How many people actually live in these conflict zones?
Thousands. Civilians caught between armed groups, living in areas where the government has limited control and drug trafficking is the main economy. The government says it deployed troops to protect them, but the violence keeps finding them anyway.