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Dissident Guerrillas Claim Responsibility for Attack Killing 21 in Colombia
🇦🇷 Argentina /Conflict & Security

Dissident Guerrillas Claim Responsibility for Attack Killing 21 in Colombia

From La Nación · (14m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Dissident FARC guerrillas claimed responsibility for a bombing in Colombia that killed 21 civilians.
  • The group described the incident as a 'tactical error' that occurred during a military confrontation.
  • The attack took place in the Cauca region, an area previously declared a 'territory of peace'.

BOGOTÁ – In a stark admission that underscores the volatile security situation in Colombia, dissident FARC guerrillas have claimed responsibility for the bombing that tragically killed 21 civilians over the weekend. The Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest faction of ex-FARC members, labeled the incident a 'tactical error' that occurred amidst a 'propagandistic action' along the Pan-American highway.

Dissident FARC guerrillas have claimed responsibility for an attack that caused 21 civilian deaths in Colombia last weekend, defining it as a 'tactical error'.

— La NaciónReporting the main claim made by the dissident group.

The group stated that the deadly explosion happened during clashes with the Army, which was positioned nearby. The EMC acknowledged that civilians, with no connection to the armed conflict, were caught in the blast. They attributed the 'lamentable incident' to 'errors in military maneuver amid combat,' asserting that the events were not premeditated but still accepted political responsibility for the 'tactical error.'

The Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the main group of ex-FARC members, stated in a communiqué that the episode occurred amid a 'propagandistic action on the Pan-American highway'.

— La NaciónExplaining the context in which the EMC claims the incident occurred.

This bombing in the Cauca department, a region that has striven to establish itself as a 'territory of peace' through community initiatives like coffee cultivation, is a devastating blow. The victims, many from the local community of La Pedregosa, highlight the profound human cost of the ongoing conflict, shattering the peace efforts in the area.

That action led to clashes with Army personnel, who were a few meters from the place where the guerrillas detonated an explosive charge that killed civilians passing through the area.

— La NaciónDescribing the circumstances of the explosion and its immediate aftermath.

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez suggested the attack was a reprisal for military pressure following the collapse of peace negotiations between President Gustavo Petro and EMC leader Iván Mordisco. The incident is part of a recent surge in violence in southwestern Colombia, with over 34 reported armed actions, attacks, and public order disturbances, prompting a significant military and police deployment to contain further escalation and regain control.

The illegal organization indicated that in that context an 'unfortunate incident' occurred that affected civilians who, they acknowledged, had no relation to the armed conflict.

— La NaciónDetailing the EMC's acknowledgment of civilian casualties and their lack of involvement in the conflict.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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