Iván Mordisco, the leader of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest dissident faction of Colombia's former FARC guerrillas, has called for a regional alliance with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and other armed Nicolás Maduro.
In a video circulated on social media, Colombia's most wanted criminal urged commanders of the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia dissident faction and the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano to convene what he described as an urgent insurgent summit. He framed the proposal as a response to what he called U.S. "imperialist aggression" in the region.
"We call on you, out of urgent necessity, to a summit of insurgent commanders of Colombia and all of Our America," Mordisco said as El Colombiano reports. "Enough military interventions, enough cultural domination. Let all forms of imperialist aggression cease."
Mordisco, whose real name is Néstor Gregorio Vera and for whom Colombian authorities are offering a reward of 5 billion pesos (about $1.3 million), argued that despite historic rivalries, armed groups now face a shared adversary. "We are not dispersed forces," he said. "We are heirs to the same cause. Let us forge a great insurgent bloc."
Acknowledging past disputes, particularly violent territorial conflicts between FARC dissidents and the ELN over drug routes and coca production, Mordisco urged commanders to "leave these differences aside," adding that "the destiny of our peoples demands unity in a common trench."
-
Maduro's Former Intelligence Chief Says Regime Worked With FARC, ELN and Hezbollah to Target U.S., in Letter to Trump
-
Colombian Government Reportedly Made Several Concessions To U.S. Behind The Scenes To Defuse Tensions Between Trump And Petro
-
DEA Chief Says 'Narco-Terrorist State' Venezuela is Working With Colombian Guerilla Groups to Ship Cocaine Through Mexico
Colombia's defense minister, Pedro Sánchez, dismissed the message as a sign of weakness. He said Mordisco was seeking protection from rival criminal organizations as security forces continue operations against his network. Sánchez described the appeal as "a call for help" amid mounting pressure from the state.
The comments come days after the ELN and FARC dissident groups issued statements condemning the U.S. operation in Venezuela and vowing resistance. The ELN publicly expressed solidarity with Venezuelan authorities and framed the raid as a violation of regional sovereignty.
Colombia and Venezuela share a 2,219-kilometer border, much of it remote and lightly governed. Colombian intelligence agencies and independent analysts have long documented the presence of armed groups operating across the frontier, particularly the ELN, which maintains logistical and operational bases inside Venezuela.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
