| FARC dissidents | |
|---|---|
| Carlos Patiño Frente FARC-EP,Estado Mayor Central FARC-EP,FARC-EP Segunda Marquetalia | |
 FARC dissidents arrested inPutumayo province during Operation Armageddon | |
| Leaders |
|
| Dates of operation | 2016–present |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Allies | |
| Opponents | |
Preceded by FARC-EP | |
FARC dissidents (Spanish:Disidencias de las Farc), including theCarlos Patiño Front,[8] are groups of people who were formerly part of theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and have refused to lay down their arms after theColombian peace process came into effect in 2016, or resumed their insurgency afterwards.[3] In 2018, the dissidents numbered some 2,000[9][10] to 2,500[2] armed combatants with an unknown number of civilian militia supporting them. The FARC dissidents have become "an increasing headache" for the Colombian armed forces, as they have to fight them, thePopular Liberation Army (EPL), theNational Liberation Army (ELN), and theClan del Golfo at the same time.[9]
FARC dissidents have been responsible for several attacks on the Colombian armed forces.[11][12][13] These fighters are believed to be heavily involved in the production and sale of cocaine.[14] In June 2020, it was revealed that the presence of FARC dissidents in northern Antioquia instigated a direct armed conflict with the Clan del Golfo known asOperation Mil.[15]Currently, FARC-EP consists of more than 10 factions such asFARC-EP Central General Staff,FARC-EP Second Marquetalia,FARC-EP Border Commandos,FARC-EP Miller Perdomo Territorial Militia Front,FARC-EP United Guerrillas of the Pacific,FARC-EP People of Order,FARC-EP Loreto Front,FARC-EP Bolivarian Militias,FARC-EP Carlos Patiño Front.
FARC dissidents have been led by former mid-level commanders such as alias Gentil Duarte, alias Euclides Mora, alias Jhon 40, alias Giovanny Chuspas and alias Julián Chollo. The group has attempted to recruit locals in thePutumayo Province in Colombia to take up their cause.[16] On October 15, 2020, Colombian President Iván Duque announced that a FARC dissent member known by the alias of "Cabuyo" was now the head of the FARC dissidents.[1]
Dissidents of FARC's 1st Front are located in the eastern plains of Colombia. Jhon 40 and their dissident 43rd Front moved into theAmazonas state of western Venezuela where they can operate with Colombian allies. Venezuela has served as the primary location for many FARC dissidents.[2] Other dissidents hide in the mountains north ofMedellín.[3] In 2018, Cabuyo was reported to be based in the north ofAntioquia.[17]
These groups have constituted a form of parallel state in very poor rural areas historically marked by the absence of the state they control. They manage disputes of all kinds, such as divorce and theft, organize public works, and impose taxes on economic activities. Prostitution, gambling and drug use are prohibited. Some of the population viewed this presence favorably: "FARC exerts a positive control, thanks to which these regions are healthy. The government looks down on them, but in this village you can go to bed with money in your pocket, it's always there when you wake up. In other areas, you will wake up without even your clothes."[18]
Despite claiming to still follow the leftist ideology of FARC, many dissidents are more motivated in their continuing struggle against the government by difficulty with reintegrating into civilian society, a desire to protect themselves from other paramilitary or crime groups, and criminal connections. Dissident groups would become part of the rivalries between the differentdrug cartels, allying with some and fighting against others.[3]
On 15 July 2018, the Colombian and Peruvian governments launched a joint military effort known as Operation Armageddon to combat FARC dissidents.Peru issued a 60-day state of emergency in thePutumayo province, an area bordering both Colombia and Ecuador. On the first day alone, more than 50 individuals were arrested in the operation, with the majority being Colombian nationals, while four cocaine labs were dismantled.[16]
On 28 July 2019, during the XXVSão Paulo Forum hosted inCaracas,Nicolás Maduro declared that the FARC-EP dissidents leadersIván Márquez andJesús Santrich were "welcome" in Venezuela and to the São Paulo Forum.[19]
On 26 June 2020,Clan del Golfo and FARC dissidents were confirmed to be in a direct armed conflict in northern Antioquia known asOperation Mil.[15] The Clan del Golfo, which dispatched 1,000 of its paramilitaries from Urabá, southern Córdoba and Chocó, hopes to remove FARC dissent from northern Antioquia and take control of the entire municipality of Ituango.[15]
On 21 March 2021, theNational Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela launched a large-scale military operation against FARC dissidents inApure, Venezuela. The2021 Apure clashes has resulted in the mass displacement of over 5,000 civilians to Colombia.[7]
On 25 May 2022, Colombian and Venezuelan intelligence officials confirmed the death of Miguel Botache Santillana, alias Gentil Duarte, the top leader of the FARC dissidents.[20]
On 17 October 2024, a prison vehicle that was transporting the serial killerManuel Octavio Bermúdez was ambushed while travelling on the Pan-American Highway in the department of Cauca. The assailants opened fire, killing Bermúdez, two guards, and another inmate. The attack was blamed on FARC dissidents.[21][22]
On 13 August 2025, FARC dissidents and theMilitary Forces of Colombia conducted a drone attack targetingColombian Navy andColombian Armed Forces who were manning a checkpoint on the Naya River in south-west Colombia, killing three and wounding four.[23]
On 21 August 2025, FARC dissidents shot down aSikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk over a mountain during an anti-narcotics mission inAmalfi,Antioquia Department, with adrone, killing 13 police officers and injuring three others.[24][25][26] On the same day, inCali, acar bomb targeting theMarco Fidel Suárez Air Base killed 6 civilians, including a child, and injured 71 others.[27][28][29][30] A second bomb laden truck did not go off but was deactivated by authorities,[31][32] two FARC dissidents were captured from the site.[33] The attacks were the bloodiest terrorist attacks since 2019.[34]
On 24 August 2025, Colombian military killed eleven FARC dissidents including a commander, in clashes in the El Retorno municipality in the province ofGuaviare.[35]
A total of 34 Colombian soldiers were taken captive while attempting to evacuate the El Retorno municipality on 26 August 2025.[35]
infobae was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
