A soldier died in an attack by FARC dissidents in Colombia

One soldier was killed and another was injured. in an explosive attack perpetrated by the FARC dissidents on a sidewalk of the road that connects the Colombian departments of Huila and Cauca, in the southwest of the country, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.

The event happened on the sidewalk (village) Kiosks during routine army operations in western Huila, when a motorized patrol was surprised by the activation of a explosive devicesaid the Army, which attributed the attack to the structure ‘dagoberto ramos‘, belonging to the central staff commanded by ‘Iván Mordisco’.

The military institution considered that this action “violates human rights and the rules of international humanitarian lawand reports that the injured non-commissioned officer has been transferred to a care center where he is receiving medical treatment.

The attack occurs in the middle of allegations of violations of the bilateral ceasefire signed earlier this year between the dissidents and the Colombian government, which is on the road to “total peace” and is seeking to open talks with the armed groups operating in the country.

In fact, the High Commissioner for Peace has already announced that the next peace negotiation process will soon begin with the dissidents.

For now, the only negotiation table set up is with the guerrillas of National Liberation Army (ELN), which has already had two rounds of talks, one in Venezuela and the other in Mexico.

The office of the Colombian mediator alerted earlier this year to the presence of FARC dissidents in 237 municipalities, located in 29 of the 32 Colombian departments.

Currently, the “Dagoberto Ramos” structure operates mainly in the department of Cauca.

The Commander-in-Chief of the ELN, Eliecer Chamorroa.k.a “antonio garcia“, assured this Tuesday that the guerrillas will release the army sergeant Libey Danilo Bravowho was kidnapped on February 14 in the department of Arauca, on the border with Venezuela and the main stronghold of this group.

“Sergeant Libey Danilo Bravo, captured by the ELN in Arauca, is a prisoner of war, his status as a prisoner and his rights as a victim are respected, as established by IHL (international humanitarian law). He will be released alive and with respect for his integrity and dignity.Garcia said.

However, the commander of the National Liberation Army assured that the death of combatants at the hands of “government military forces, in a defenseless state”, in the departments of Valle del Cauca (southwest) and Antioquia ( northwest) “are war crimes, in violation of IHL”.

“We hope that the investigations that they believe were going to be carried out will be carried out. Every thing by its name and not so many tricks,” the guerrillas added.

Last Sunday, the army confirmed the kidnapping, which took place on February 14 in Arauquita in the afternoon by armed men who intercepted the sergeant in the urban area “forcing him into a truck with a destination unknown”.

“This reprehensible act is a violation of human rights and an attack on the provisions of international humanitarian law, as well as a crime classified as crime against humanity“, alerted the Army in a press release.

The military institution held the ELN Eastern War Front responsible for “the safety and physical integrity” of the sergeant, to whom it attributed the kidnapping.

In this sense, the President Gustavo Petro considered Bravo’s kidnapping a fact that “sabotages any chance of peace”.

(With information from EFE)

Continue reading: