Tag: Colombia

The Andes
ELN

US strike on ELN in Venezuela?

Days after a strike on a camp within Venezuelan territory allegedly used by the ELN—Colombia’s largest active rebel group—information emerged that US drones and intelligence had played a crucial role. But the extent of US involvement in the operation remains unclear. The New York Times reported that the US “assisted” the Venezuelan military in the attack in the border state of Apure, which killed at least 23 people. While the Times quoted unnamed US officials saying the drone was likely piloted by US forces, it characterized the attack as a “joint operation” and cast it as the second since June, when the Tren de Aragua leader was killed. However, local NGO FundaRedes, which first reported the attack, contended the strike was carried out by US forces alone. The strike comes as the Trump administration pushes the Venezuelan government to sign a status of forces agreement to enable US forces to stay in the country more permanently. (Photo: Colombia Reports)

The Andes
Barrancabermeja

Colombia: state oil company named in war crimes

UN experts welcomed a ruling by Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) relating to Macro-Case 08, recognizing the responsibility of a director of parastatal oil company Ecopetrol and several state agents for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and serious human rights violations. The ruling concerns abuses committed during the armed conflict in and around the refinery city of Barrancabermeja in the late 1990s that saw several people abducted and presumably killed by right-wing paramilitaries. “The JEP’s decision represents a significant step forward for truth, justice and accountability regarding the impacts of corporate activities in conflict-affected contexts,” the experts stated. (Photo: Crystalarts via Wikimedia Commons)

The Andes
Colombia

US troops to Colombia

More than 300 US troops arrived in Colombia to take part in a series of joint military operations known as “Southern Vanguard.” The exercises, to focus on tackling drug trafficking and illegal mining, have stirred controversy in the country given the possibility that US troops could conduct joint strikes on Colombian soil, after the new right-wing government of President Abelardo de la Espriella agreed to such an arrangement. The left opposition argues that the presence of foreign troops needs congressional approval. (Map: PCL)

The Andes
Bogotá

Colombia: protests greet new far-right president

Thousands of Colombians peacefully rallied across the country against the far-right policies of President Abelardo de la Espriella, little more than two months after he took office. They criticized his proposed social spending cuts, his alignment with Trump, and his hardline military approach to decades of armed-group violence. Earlier this month, de la Espriella announced a “counterterrorism statute” that many fear could restrict democratic rights. (Photo: AlexaRochi via AnalisisUrbano)

Africa

UN Mission: foreign support fuels Sudan war

SudanThe UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan released a new report detailing how external support networks fuel the conflict and escalate civilian harm in the country. The Mission found that foreign-sourced weapons and personnel have significantly expanded the military capabilities of both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), intensifying the conflict's scale and lethality. Although the UN Security Council has long imposed an arms embargo on Sudan, the Mission believes the RSF sources artillery, air-defense systems, drones, and other military equipment from individuals and entities in the United Arab Emirates, Chad, Libya and Somalia. The report stated that arms suppliers who violate the embargo contribute to crimes under international law. (Map: PCL)

The Andes

Colombia authorizes joint US strikes

ColombiaColombia formally joined the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), a US-led regional initiative under the rubric of the so-called "Shield of the Americas." US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that new far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella had authorized joint "counter-terrorism" operations, a move that opens the door to US-led strikes on Colombian territory, which Hegseth said has already been discussed. De la Espriella’s granting of permission to US troops to operate within Colombia is likely unconstitutional—the transit and operation of foreign troops on Colombian soil requires Congressional approval. The agreement was formalized in Panama, where Hegseth spent two days meeting with the A3C's 19 partner members, deepening ties, and rallying opposition to the International Criminal Court, which he accused of launching a "lawless power grab" by potentially investigating US strikes in the region, a step it has not yet taken. (Map: PCL)

The Andes

Colombia earthquake strikes at challenging time

ColombiaAid organizations responding to the powerful earthquake that hit Colombia face significant challenges, including difficulties accessing some of the worst-hit areas in remote western regions that have been seeing rising violence. The quake comes as Colombia was already facing its worst humanitarian crisis in years. In Chocó department, where the earthquake's epicenter is located, restrictions on humanitarian aid by illegal armed groups are common. The region is not only one of the poorest in the country but also one of the hardest hit by armed conflict. (Map: OpenStreetMap via The New Humanitarian)

The Amazon

UAE joins multinational Amazon crackdown

Green ShieldFive South American countries announced completion of a two-week joint law enforcement operation targeting environmental crimes across the Amazon rainforest. The campaign, dubbed Operation Green Shield 2026, resulted in over 800 arrests and the seizure of hundreds of millions of dollars in timber, minerals and livestock. The campaign was coordinated by the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), a project led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched jointly with the UN Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) to help countries share intelligence and resources against environmental crimes. (Photo: WAM)

The Andes

Rights abuses seen in US-Ecuador joint operations

EcuadorHuman Rights Watch released a report detailing four attacks on Ecuadorian persons, properties and vessels that they attribute to an intensified counter-narcotics campaign led by the US with the partnership of the Ecuadorian government. The first attack took place in March on the farming community of San Martín, Sucumbíos province, and was confirmed by the US government as a partnered military operation. The remaining three incidents took place at sea, off Ecuador’s Pacific coast. They are the January disappearance of the Fiorella, an Ecuadorian fishing vessel, and March drone attacks on two other fishing vessels, La Negra Francisco Duarte II and the Don Maca. The US has denied responsibility in these maritime strikes. (Image: Nicolas Raymond via Flickr)

Africa

UAE-backed network in Libya fuels Sudan war

RSFA new Lighthouse Reports investigation has brought to light new evidence of the United Arab Emirates' role in sustaining Sudan's civil war by backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through a covert logistics and training network based in eastern Libya. The report draws on social media analysis, geolocation data, satellite imagery, and witness interviews to trace alleged RSF-linked camps, convoy routes, and transfers of weapons and fuel between Libya and Sudan. The investigation identified four previously unknown RSF staging areas in Libya, including one near Benghazi. RSF defectors described training alongside Libyan National Army soldiers and UAE-contracted Colombian mercenaries before being sent back to Sudan. (Photo of RSF forces in Darfur via Sudan Tribune)

North America

UN rights chief: investigate deaths in ICE custody

ICEUN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for independent investigations into dozens of deaths in US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. He urged authorities to take immediate measures to prevent further fatalities as the number of deaths in detention continues to rise. Türk noted that at least 52 people have died in ICE custody since the beginning of 2025, following President Donald Trump's return to office and the start of the administration's expanded immigration enforcement policies. According to official figures, 18 people died in ICE detention during the first five months of this year, with an additional death recorded in June, while 33 deaths were documented during 2025 overall—compared with 11 in 2024. (Photo: ICE via Wikimedia Commons)

Africa

UAE recruits Colombian fighters for Sudan’s RSF: report

SudanA company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has hired and transported hundreds of Colombian private military contractors to Sudan to fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Human Rights Watch charges in a new report. HRW found that the recruits passed through a UAE military base in Ghiyathi and an apparent private military facility in Al Wathba, both in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. HRW called on the international community to press the UAE to end its support for the RSF by suspending military cooperation and arms sales. (Map: PCL)