Colombia — ELN Insurgency & FARC Dissidents
Colombia · Since 1964
3-year-old girl rescued 100 hours after Colombia earthquake
A three-year-old girl and a 75-year-old man have been pulled alive from the rubble days after Colombia’s earthquake. Reporting via Al Jazeera. WOR continues to monitor the Colombia conflict for further developments and severity changes.
WOR is monitoring the Colombia conflict across all monitored international sources. Severity scoring updates every 5 minutes as new reporting arrives. For full background on this conflict, see the conflict profile below.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera ↗CONFLICT BACKGROUND
Despite the 2016 FARC peace deal, Colombia remains embroiled in armed conflict. The National Liberation Army (ELN) — the largest active insurgent group (~5,000 combatants) — continues to operate in Arauca, Chocó, Norte de Santander, and the Venezuela border region. Multiple FARC dissident groups (EMC, FARC-EP Segunda Marquetalia) that rejected the 2016 deal operate in coca-producing regions. President Petro's "total peace" process has stalled after multiple ceasefire collapses. Drug trafficking — cocaine production hit record levels in 2024 — funds all armed groups. Competition between ELN, FARC dissidents, and criminal organizations (AGC/Clan del Golfo) drives much of the violence in contested corridors.
ACTIVE PARTIES
- ELN (National Liberation Army)
- FARC-EP / Estado Mayor Central (EMC)
- Segunda Marquetalia (Iván Márquez group)
- AGC / Clan del Golfo
- Colombian Armed Forces
- Colombian National Police
COUNTRY IMPACT
| Country | Impact Type | Severity | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | Military involvement | HIGH | ELN uses Venezuelan territory as rear base with Maduro government complicity; 1.8M Colombian refugees in Venezuela |
| Ecuador | Trade disruption | HIGH | FARC dissidents and drug cartels operating in Ecuador border region; violence spilled over dramatically in 2023–2024 |
| Panama | Refugee influx | MEDIUM | Darién Gap — 500,000+ migrants crossed in 2024, many fleeing Colombia violence; narco-trafficking corridor |
| USA | Military involvement | MEDIUM | Plan Colombia successor programs; DEA operations; cocaine interdiction; $400M+ annual security assistance |
| Peru | Trade disruption | MEDIUM | VRAEM cocaine corridor connects to Colombian networks; shared border instability |
| Brazil | Diplomatic tension | LOW | Amazon border security; coca and cocaine transit through northern Brazil |
RECENT DISPATCHES
KEY FIGURES
DATA SOURCES
- ↗ ACLED
- ↗ INDEPAZ
- ↗ Crisis Group
- ↗ UN OHCHR
Figures come from the sources above. Descriptions are synthesized from multi-outlet news monitoring — see how WOR works.