06/25/2024
Iván Velásquez, Minister of Defense of Colombia, would be in contradiction with the high commissioner for peace, Otty Patiño, confirming that the military action that resulted in the death of alias Hermes was “legitimate and necessary” for national security.
“Yesterday, in the course of a legitimate military operation, carried out in Roberto Payán, Nariño, Felipe Moreno Montaña, alias Hermes, fourth ringleader and logistical coordinator of the Alfonso Cano Western Block of the Second Marquetalia, was killed,” Minister Velásquez announced through your account on social network X.
Statements by Minister Velásquez They could be read as a response to the controversy generated by the High Commissioner for Peace, Otty Patiño, who described the operation in which ‘Hermes’ died as “fateful.” Patiño expressed his discontent on Monday, during the installation of the dialogue table with the Second Marquetalia, stating: “I deeply regret the events of yesterday that cannot be called incidents, that is making them light, making them insignificant. That is not an incident, it is something fateful and we have mistreated the trust that we have been creating with the Second Marquetalia.”
Felipe Moreno Montaña, alias Hermes, was 50 years old and had been involved in criminal activities for almost two decades, and had become a key figure within the FARC dissidents led by alias Iván Márquez.
Although not directly involved in the current peace negotiations, Hermes had participated in the 2016 peace process with the defunct FARC. However, after signing the agreement in Havana, he rejected the agreement and continued committing crimes.
As a member of the Alfonso Cano Western Bloc, Hermes was responsible for the logistics and finances of the subversive group. His role included managing resources necessary for the organization’s criminal operations.
The operation that resulted in the dismissal of Hermes has generated diverse opinions among civil society and apparently even in the government itself. While Minister Velásquez defends the legitimacy and necessity of military action, the High Commissioner for Peace criticizes it, alleging that it negatively affects the relations and trust built with the Second Marquetalia.
