Colombian President Iván Duque announced on Friday the entry into operation of an elite commando of 7,000 soldiers intended to fight ELN guerrillas, Farc dissidents, as well as drug traffickers.
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This force "is
born to defeat, strike and subdue drug trafficking organizations and transnational threats linked to illegal mining, trafficking in wildlife, people, and of course all forms of transnational terrorism
," said the Minister. head of state from a military base in Tolemaida (center).
In front of a hundred soldiers, tanks and helicopters, Ivan Duque described
the launch of such a commando as
"
historic
".
He assured that the latter would "
relentlessly
"
pursue
the National Liberation Army (ELN), considered to be the last active guerrilla in Colombia, criminal organizations and dissidents of the former guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc ) who rejected the 2016 peace agreement.
When announcing the creation of this elite corps on February 7, the Colombian head of state made an allusion to neighboring Venezuela with which diplomatic relations were severed: “
It is clear that many of they are protected in Venezuela,
”he said.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro responded by promising to “
respond with force
” to the creation of this commando if “
Iván Duque dared to violate the sovereignty of Venezuela
”.
Colombia continues to face a multifaceted armed conflict, involving left-wing guerrillas, drug traffickers and right-wing paramilitaries vying for control of lucrative cocaine production and illegal mineral extraction.