Published: · Region: Latin America · Category: conflict

ELN ‘War’ Declaration Against Colombian Paramilitaries Exposes New Internal Front

Colombia’s National Liberation Army released a video vowing ‘war’ against pro-government paramilitary groups, signaling a sharper confrontation within the country’s already crowded armed landscape. The threat puts rural communities, local officials, and security forces under new pressure as rival non-state actors compete for territory and leverage during Bogotá’s fragile peace efforts.

Colombia’s longest-surviving guerrilla force has publicly opened a new front in the country’s internal conflict, declaring “war” on pro-government paramilitary groups in a video released on 6 August. The statement from the National Liberation Army, or ELN, injects fresh volatility into a map already carved up by insurgents, criminal outfits, and state forces, and raises the stakes for civilians caught between shifting lines of control. In the video, two female ELN fighters deliver a message announcing hostilities against paramilitary organizations described as aligned with the government. Both appear heavily armed, one with a Polish Pioneer Arms PAC AKMS rifle chambered in 5.56mm and the other with a Zastava M70B3-pattern rifle,…

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