Key facts
- Hernando Forero Mosquera, accused of leading a dissident rebel faction, was killed in a Colombian military operation.
- President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered a crackdown on illegal armed groups, prioritizing confrontation over negotiation.
- The operation resulted in the deaths of Forero Mosquera and five other alleged members of armed groups.
- Two explosive devices detonated in Colombia shortly after de la Espriella's inauguration.
- The United States plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance to the new Colombian government.
A man suspected of leading a dissident faction of a left-wing rebel group, Hernando Forero Mosquera, also known as "El ruso", has been killed in a military operation in central Colombia. Officials stated the operation is part of a crackdown on illegal armed groups ordered by the country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in on Friday.
De la Espriella declared that the killing of Forero Mosquera and five other alleged members of armed groups sends a "clear and powerful message to all bandits that there is nowhere for them to hide." During his presidential campaign, de la Espriella pledged to target "narco-terrorism" relentlessly, including through air strikes, a stark contrast to his predecessor Gustavo Petro's "total peace" strategy that prioritized negotiation.
Military intelligence identified Forero as the leader of Frente 28, a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). De la Espriella's combative approach has been met with defiance; just a day after his inauguration, two explosive devices detonated in Cauca and Cesar provinces, injuring two security guards and killing a police officer via drone explosives.
In a video, de la Espriella praised the military for killing Forero, described as an explosives expert, and three other alleged members of the dissident group. Separately, soldiers killed two alleged members of the Gulf Clan in Antioquia province. The US state department announced plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance to de la Espriella's government and welcomed Colombia into the "Shield of the Americas" alliance.