Colombian President Launches Anti-Rebel Campaign, Announces Six Militants Killed

Colombian President Ávila de la Espeja confirmed the deaths of six armed militants on Sunday in initial military operations conducted after his inauguration as the country’s new head of state. The operations targeted armed groups, reaffirming his pledge to wage an uncompromising campaign against insurgent movements and narcotics trafficking organizations.

First Operations and Geographic Scope

The president, a hardline conservative who took the constitutional oath on Friday, described the actions as sending a “clear and strong message to all bandits,” adding, “there is no place for them to hide.” Four of the slain militants—including a commander from a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)—were killed in a village in the Amazon region of Meta Department, located in central Colombia. Two members of the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s principal drug cartel, were killed in a rural area of Antioquia Department in the northwest.

Security Policy and International Backing

During his inauguration ceremony, de la Espeja pledged to combat “without respite terrorism linked to drugs and all criminal organizations,” emphasizing that dialogue with major armed groups has been “fully exhausted.” He committed to intensifying military strikes against rebel movements and drug traffickers with support from Israel and the United States. The president also announced plans to construct large-scale prisons modeled on those operating in El Salvador.

Violence on Inauguration Day

The first day of the new administration’s term saw multiple attacks against security forces. Among them was a drone strike laden with explosives targeting a police station in northern Colombia, resulting in the death of a police officer.

Panama has tightened border surveillance with Colombia following deadly attacks.