Economist

Colombia’s president had a bold peace plan. It is not working

Reuters

Colombian army says 57 soldiers kidnapped by civilians under pressure from FARC

57 Soldiers Rescued After Being Kidnapped Southwest Colombia 2025 06 23

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On Monday, the Colombian Army said it had rescued 57 soldiers who were kidnapped over the weekend by hundreds of local residents in a mountainous area in the country's southwestern department of Cauca.

BBC News

The Rio Times

On Monday, the Colombian Army said it had rescued 57 soldiers who were kidnapped over the weekend by hundreds of local residents in a mountainous area in the country's southwestern department of Cauca.

A first group of 31 people was seized during an operation in El Tambo on Saturday, while the others were captured on Sunday as they headed to El Plateado. Both municipalities are located in the area known as Micay Canyon.

Al Jazeera

Anadolu Agency

A first group of 31 people was seized during an operation in El Tambo on Saturday, while the others were captured on Sunday as they headed to El Plateado. Both municipalities are located in the area known as Micay Canyon.

According to authorities, the civilians were acting under orders from the Carlos Patiño Front, an armed group affiliated with the EMC-FARC — <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.improvethenews.org/story/2023/colombia-suspends-ceasefire-with-emcfarc-rebels">the largest dissident offshoot of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that rejects the 2016 peace agreement with the government</a>.

According to authorities, the civilians were acting under orders from the Carlos Patiño Front, an armed group affiliated with the EMC-FARC — the largest dissident offshoot of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that rejects the 2016 peace agreement with the government.

Gen. Erik Rodriguez told local news outlet El Tiempo that the incident was triggered by the arrest of a suspected EMC rebel on Saturday, adding that all of the soldiers were held at the same location.

Gen. Erik Rodriguez told local news outlet El Tiempo that the incident was triggered by the arrest of a suspected EMC rebel on Saturday, adding that all of the soldiers were held at the same location.

A key zone for cocaine production where over 90% depend on coca bush cultivation for a living, the Micay Canyon is one of the most restive in Colombia's conflict, and is used for transporting drugs from the mountains to Pacific ports — from where they are shipped to other countries.

A key zone for cocaine production where over 90% depend on coca bush cultivation for a living, the Micay Canyon is one of the most restive in Colombia's conflict, and is used for transporting drugs from the mountains to Pacific ports — from where they are shipped to other countries.

Earlier this year, members of the Carlos Patiño Front kidnapped 29 military and police officers in the department of Cauca for three days, and killed five military personnel in an ambush that left 16 others injured.

Earlier this year, members of the Carlos Patiño Front kidnapped 29 military and police officers in the department of Cauca for three days, and killed five military personnel in an ambush that left 16 others injured.

President Gustavo Petro's ambitious Total Peace sought to finally bring the country's decades-long armed conflict to an end, ensuring that guerrillas would not be persecuted once demobilized and disarmed. Violence in Cauca does not discredit the dialogue-based plan, as there has been success elsewhere in the country in addressing structural violence.

President Gustavo Petro's ambitious Total Peace sought to finally bring the country's decades-long armed conflict to an end, ensuring that guerrillas would not be persecuted once demobilized and disarmed. Violence in Cauca does not discredit the dialogue-based plan, as there has been success elsewhere in the country in addressing structural violence.

Justice For Colombia

Colombia’s ‘Total Peace’ is achieving slow but steady progress - justice for colombia

Pro-government narrative

A former guerrilla himself, Petro won the presidency with a bold plan to finally bring the decades-old internal conflict in Colombia to an end, but his so-called total peace has failed. Ceasefires actually allowed armed groups to expand as the government opted not to apply military pressure on them, and Colombia is now in the middle of another escalation of violence.

A former guerrilla himself, Petro won the presidency with a bold plan to finally bring the decades-old internal conflict in Colombia to an end, but his so-called total peace has failed. Ceasefires actually allowed armed groups to expand as the government opted not to apply military pressure on them, and Colombia is now in the middle of another escalation of violence.

Government-critical narrative

There's a 9% chance that Colombia will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 9% chance that Colombia will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Colombia: 57 Soldiers Rescued After Being Captured by Civilians in Restive Coca Zone

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Colombia: 57 Soldiers Rescued After Being Captured by Civilians in Restive Coca Zone

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Government-critical narrative

Metaculus Prediction

Public Figures

Articles on this story

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