27 killed in firefight between rebel groups in Colombia's Amazon

A firefight between rival leftist rebel groups in Colombia's Amazon has left 27 people dead, according to army sources reported Sunday. The clash occurred in the Guaviare region as dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla group battle for control of drug trafficking routes, illegal mining, and extortion operations.

The combat pitted forces led by Ivan Mordisco—Colombia's most wanted man who abandoned peace talks in 2024—against another splinter group headed by a rebel known as Calarca. Both groups broke away from FARC after it signed a 2016 peace accord with the government.

President Gustavo Petro has increased pressure on these rebel groups ahead of elections in four months, with the opposition accusing him of being too soft. In November, government forces killed 19 Mordisco followers in a major attack. Petro has compared the elusive Mordisco to the late cocaine baron Pablo Escobar.

Despite this violence, the same groups have held intermittent peace talks with Petro's government. The fighting highlights the ongoing security challenges in Colombia, the world's largest producer of cocaine, where dissident FARC factions continue to control territory and criminal economies despite the 2016 peace deal.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/01/18/clash-among-rebel-groups-in-colombia-leaves-nearly-30-dead/