By Andrés Pachón | 2025-01-03

BOGOTÁ -- Illegal armed groups in Colombia have exploited the government's push for peace to consolidate power and expand their presence in key territory.

Compounding the situation, they are using civilians as shields and thereby complicating counterinsurgency operations.

Criminal organizations have historically viewed the Colombian people's longing for peace as "an opportunity to strengthen themselves," Adm. Francisco Cubides, commander of the Colombian Military Forces, told Entorno in an interview.

They have repeatedly taken advantage of ceasefires established during peace negotiations in the 1980s and 1990s and more recent efforts, he said.

"Today, this dynamic persists," he added. "Regions such as Arauca, Catatumbo (on the Venezuelan border), Cauca, Nariño (on the Ecuadorian border) and southern Bolívar have witnessed the strengthening of these groups."

"They continue to finance their activities through drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion and forced recruitment of minors."

Peace talks

Since taking office in 2022, President Gustavo Petro has advanced a peace policy aimed at negotiating with the far-left insurgent group National Liberation Army (ELN), as well as two factions of the dissolved Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- the Central General Staff (EMC) and the Second Marquetalia -- and the paramilitary Clan del Golfo, all designated as terrorist organizations.

The government's initiative seeks to end decades of internal armed conflict, which has claimed approximately 450,000 lives, by having ex-insurgents turn themselves in, disarm and reintegrate into society.

But the current restriction on advancing offensive operations has allowed illegal armed groups to exploit the situation to "reorganize, strengthen their structures and expand their criminal influence in strategic areas," said Cubides.

Various illegal armed groups have carved out territory of 324,736 sq. km and now boast 16,770 members combined, according to a report by the Colombian Military Forces at the end of 2023, published by Noticias Caracol.

Those figures represent 4% growth in territory and 11% growth in membership from the year before, according to the military.

The situation for Colombian forces has become even more complex, as "criminal dynamics have changed significantly in recent years," said Cubides.

"These groups now employ strategies such as camouflaging themselves among the civilian population, coercing communities to provide logistical support or intelligence on troop movements, and using civilians as human shields --particularly by abducting children and recruiting minors."

"These forms of crime not only complicate military operations but also aim to delegitimize state actions and create tensions within affected communities," he added.

International cooperation

Colombian troops will continue using all available resources "to neutralize the threats posed by these groups," Cubides said.

He expressed confidence in strengthening strategic ties with Latin American and US counterparts to "counteract transnational threats and crimes that undermine regional stability, fostering greater unity in the fight against illegal armed groups and other shared challenges."

Cubides also highlighted progress in "planning and resource allocation for joint initiatives that go beyond traditional security, including significant advancements in cybersecurity, regional defense and the fight against emerging threats."