Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group has ordered civilians in areas under its control to remain home for three days starting Sunday, citing military exercises in response to threats from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
ELN Response to Trump’s Cocaine Trafficking Threats
Trump stated earlier this month that any country producing cocaine and selling it to the United States would be “subject to attack.” The ELN, Colombia’s oldest surviving guerrilla group, controls key drug-producing regions and vowed on Friday to defend the country against what it called Trump’s “threats of imperialist intervention.”
The group is urging civilians in controlled areas to stay indoors for 72 hours beginning at 6 a.m. on Sunday. A statement from the ELN explained the measure is intended to “avoid accidents” by keeping civilians separate from fighters.
Tensions in the region have increased in recent months as the U.S. has increased pressure on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, including a $50 million bounty on his head and a significant military buildup in the Caribbean. The U.S. has also conducted airstrikes targeting alleged narco vessels, resulting in more than 80 deaths.
The ELN, comprised of approximately 5,800 combatants, operates in over a fifth of Colombia’s 1,100-plus municipalities, according to the Insight Crime research center. The group has also expanded its presence into neighboring Venezuela, operating in eight of the country’s 24 states and increasing its financial resources, territorial control, and political influence.
A recent report indicates a growing connection between the ELN and the Maduro regime. The report suggests that as long as Maduro remains in power, the ELN will likely continue to benefit from its position in Venezuela, and conversely, Maduro’s survival is increasingly linked to the ELN’s growing strength.
The ELN has participated in unsuccessful peace negotiations with Colombia’s last five governments. Recent peace talks with the government of current President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, were suspended after the rebels escalated armed attacks.
While the ELN professes a leftist, nationalist ideology, it is heavily involved in the drug trade and has become a powerful organized crime group. The group competes for territory and control of coca plantations and trafficking routes with former FARC guerrilla fighters who did not disarm under a 2016 peace deal. Colombia is the world’s leading producer of cocaine, according to the UN.
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