El Retorno, Guaviare, Colombia

The Army is investigating the deaths of an undetermined number of guerrillas in clashes between two FARC dissident groups in the department of Guaviare, in the central-southern part of the country, where, according to preliminary information, around 30 members across both sides may have been killed.

According to the Army, the fighting occurred between the Amazon Bloc, which is part of the faction led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, alias Iván Mordisco—the most wanted criminal in Colombia—and the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc, under the command of Alexander Díaz, alias Calarcá. The Amazon Bloc is a component of the Central General Staff (EMC), the largest FARC dissident group.

According to Army information, "the troops of Brigade 22 are carrying out verification operations in the village of Kuwait...where in recent hours the deaths of several people have been reported following possible confrontations."

The clashes were apparently motivated by disputes over territorial control, mobility routes, and illicit economies in southern Guaviare.

The EMC, led by Iván Mordisco, is made up of former FARC fronts that rejected the 2016 peace agreement or later withdrew from the reintegration process. Although the Colombian government maintains talks with some sectors of this organization, the EMC has suffered internal divisions that have resulted in armed confrontations between its own factions in strategic regions such as Guaviare.

Guaviare, characterized by its jungle geography, was one of the strongholds of the now-defunct FARC. After the signing of the peace agreement and the demobilization of that guerrilla group, dissident groups emerged in the region, competing for control of strategic territories, drug trafficking routes, and illicit economies, according to authorities.