Colombia: FARC Dissidents Still Operative in 237 Municipalities

On Thursday, the Colombian Ombudsman's Office alerted about the presence of dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 237 municipalities of the country.

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Currently, the dissidences are in 29 of the 32 departments of Colombia, although they are mainly concentrated in Antioquia, Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo, Caqueta, and Valle del Cauca.

"The First Front" is one of these dissident groups. Initially led by "Gentil Duarte", this armed organization arose before the 2016 deal signed between the Colombian state and the FARC.

Another dissident faction is "The Second Marquetalia," which was set up in August 2019 and is led by alias Ivan Marquez, who was the FARC's chief negotiator.

Currently, both organizations are in different phases of development as they are expanding in some areas and contracting in others, given that they are in dispute with other armed groups.

Between 2017 and 2022, the Colombian Ombudsman's Office issued 136 early risk alerts related to the presence of armed groups in the different municipalities of the country.

To achieve the country's total pacification, President Gustavo Petro appointed seven "Spokespersons for Peace" in 2022. Among them are young militants from humanitarian organizations who were arrested for their participation in the social protests of 2021.

His administration is also promoting a dialogue process with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and has agreed to a bilateral truce with several armed organizations.