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Dissidents from a defunct guerrilla group have kidnapped nine Colombian state contractors, mostly women, in the conflict-ridden Cauca region.
This incident marks a significant escalation in violence, the worst Colombia has seen since the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) disarmed in 2016.
The contractors were on a “humanitarian mission” in Lopez de Micay, a municipality in southwestern Cauca, when they were seized by rebels who rejected the 2016 peace deal. Seven of the kidnapped individuals are women.
The Cauca region is a known hotspot for territorial disputes related to coca crops, the raw material for cocaine.
Central General Staff Accused
The group responsible is believed to be the Central General Staff (EMC), a dissident FARC faction led by Iván Mordisco, Colombia’s most wanted criminal, which operates in Cauca.
In a statement, the EMC claimed the contractors were delivering and installing “military equipment,” an accusation the governor’s office swiftly denied as “erroneous.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has attempted to dislodge these dissidents from Cauca through military operations, but the rebels have responded with intensified attacks, including car bombs and drone strikes, against both security forces and civilians.
In mid-June alone, the EMC conducted at least 24 attacks in Cauca and neighbouring Valle del Cauca, resulting in the deaths of two police officers and five civilians.
Petro’s previous peace talks with Mordisco have collapsed, mirroring the general struggle of his administration to negotiate with illegal armed groups.
Since taking office in August 2022, President Petro has pursued a policy of “total peace” with all outlawed factions, but critics argue that overall security in the country has deteriorated.
