- Clashes broke out between two factions of the dissolved FARC.
- Fighting took place in the hamlet of Vereda Piripal: Mayor Rodriguez
- Various guerrilla factions vie for control of jungle territory.
Clashes between two breakaway factions of the disbanded FARC guerrillas have left 48 people dead in the Colombian Amazon, a local mayor said. AFP Thursday, a few days before the May 31 presidential election.
“The bodies are lying there in piles, they must be evacuated,” said Willy Rodriguez, mayor of the regional capital San José del Guaviare, located six hours from the scene of the fighting. AFP during a phone call.
Colombia is rocked by the worst wave of violence since the FARC laid down its arms in 2016, after half a century of war with the government.
Various smaller guerrilla factions vie for control of jungle territory formerly controlled by the rebel army, as well as revenue from drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The mayor said the fighting took place in the hamlet of Vereda Piripal and that the community itself had provided a provisional death toll.
A military source said AFP that fighting in a historic FARC stronghold began on Monday.
There is no information on whether operations are currently underway as rescue teams have not yet reached the site.
The bloodshed marks another blow to outgoing left-wing President Gustavo Petro’s failed “total peace” strategy – a hot topic in the presidential campaign.
The left-wing senator leading the race to succeed Petro, Ivan Cepeda, has pledged to continue dialogue with armed groups.
His right-wing rivals, led by lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, a supporter of US President Donald Trump, argue that the rebels must be crushed militarily.
The security situation weighs heavily on the elections, which were marked by killings, kidnappings and bombings.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said 408,000 security forces, supported by “planes, ships, drones, anti-drone systems and armored vehicles,” had been deployed to ensure the vote took place peacefully.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff between the two main candidates will take place on June 21.
