The capture of five alleged dissidents from the ‘Carlos Patiño’ front, as well as three dead guerrillas, unleashed the fury of this armed group that has a strong presence in the rural area of Algeria, in Cauca.
it all started on May 2 and from that moment on, the fighting between these dissidents and the Army intensified, also leaving three soldiers dead.
“At the time when the air operation was planned to extract the apprehended personnel and With the aim of protecting the lives of the dissidents, the troops were
attacked from different points, thus beginning the fighting in this sector of the country,” reported the Third Division of the Army.
There would have been more than 150 members of the EMC, who would have attacked a group of approximately 15 soldiers.
This was indicated by General Hélder Fernan Giraldo, commander of the Colombian Military Forces, who arrived in Popayán to personally verify what happened and lead the counteroffensive.
And the situation there is critical. These combats that occurred since May 2 have left three soldiers dead. They are the uniformed Jorge David Fuentes, a native of Valledupar, César; Javier Sosa Ballesteros, from La Mesa, Cundinamarca, and Camilo Andrés Molina, from Galeras, in Sucre.
Soldiers who died in combat with dissidents.
Photo:National Army
“The military operations carried out by the National Army continue in a sustained manner thanks to the bravery, commitment and high degree of professionalism of each soldier deployed in the department of Cauca, which has allowed in recent days to deal forceful blows against this structure. illegal.
The troops will remain firm in the objective of stabilizing this area of the country and thereby guarantee the integrity, well-being and protection of its inhabitants,” said General Giraldo.
“This tragic situation not only put the safety of others at risk, but has also generated a profound impact on the entire department,” said Popayán councilor José Luis Diago Franco.
“For this reason, we demand that the National Government immediately implement measures to guarantee the protection of these communities. Our hearts and solidarity are with the families and loved ones of the deceased soldiers, as well as with the entire population affected by these sad events,” he added.
Likewise, in the operation it was reported the capture of five members of the ‘Carlos Patiño’ structure of the dissidents of the ‘Central General Staff’ (EMC), from whom weapons, explosives, ammunition and administration material were also seized.
“Immediately, the troops executed a defensive maneuver and began to repel the attack, taking position in the place where they were,” the Military Forces noted.
In audios that were broadcast on social networks, the military can be heard asking, evidencing the intensity of the situation.
In this same area, a girl who was illegally recruited into the armed group was recovered, as confirmed by the Military Forces.
What is life like in Algeria and in the El Plateado district, an area of dissidents from the ‘Carlos Patiño’ front of the FARC?
It was last year, after the arrival of soldiers to El Plateado that the ‘Central General Staff’, of the FARC, announced the suspension of the dialogue table and the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, questioned the continuity of the cessation on fire with that illegal group.
El Plateado, embedded in the Western mountain range, is one of the gateways to the Grand Canyon of Micay, which concentrates more than half of the illicit crops in the southwest of Cauca, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Drugs. the crime.
Micay Canyon is only 70 kilometers from El Plateado. To search for the Pacific you have to travel along a trail on muleback, along which those leaders who have tried to manage a road for access by vehicles and motorcycles have ended up missing or murdered.
The drugs are transported from El Plateado, passing through López de Micay and other towns, such as Bocagrande and Mechengue.
There is also the stalking of the ‘Rafael Aguilera’ front and other groups that have sought to regain control of these lands. One of them is ‘José María Becerra’ of the ELN, who in the past had agreed with the then FARC that its members would be present in El Tambo and El Plateado, and that the guerrilla group of the peace agreements in Havana, Cuba.
The ‘Second Marquetalia’ is another of the criminal structures in this territorial fight with blood and fire, as well as more paramilitaries in this rural area of Algeria, where a car bomb destroyed the Mayor’s building, in May 2022, so that its officials had to dispatch from Popayán, led by the mayor of the time, Jhónnatan Patiño.
“We have to live without leaving the houses or the town. Gunshots and explosions are heard very close to schools,” said a farmer from the rural area who, due to the situation, does not reveal his name. “They sound like gunpowder, but we know they are bullets and we are afraid to go out.”
Due to these fights, More than 1,200 inhabitants have fled their communities, such as San Juan del Cucho, San Juan de Guadua and Bolivia, looking for some shelter. It is estimated that more than 1,400 students have been affected. But, the exodus also comes from neighborhoods in the township of El Plateado itself. In addition, there are confinements in towns such as Las Vegas, La Ceiba and Las Torres.
According to the mayor’s office of Algeria, classrooms have had to be adapted in an area of the municipal seat. They are also in the El Plateado Coliseum.
The Secretary of Education of Cauca, Inés Larrahondo, called on the armed groups: “Please let us safeguard the life of civil society, please and in a special way, children and young people, and progress can be made in this territory with actions that lead to peace”.
MICHEL ROMOLEROUX AND CAROLINA BOHÓRQUEZ
