In brief
A strike ordered by President Abelardo de la Espriella on Monday killed four FARC‑dissident militants and captured six, including leader “Barba Chivo,” in Colombia’s Catatumbo region. The operation, code‑named Noah, is part of a broader campaign to dismantle FARC’s criminal influence along the Venezuelan border and will continue until top leaders are brought to justice.
On Monday, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced that an airstrike carried out by the National Army and the Colombian Air Force in the northeastern Catatumbo region had killed four members of the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and brought six other militants to custody. The strike took place in a rural area of Tibu, in the Norte de Santander department, close to Colombia’s border with Venezuela.
In a post posted on the social‑media platform X, the president said:
In a decisive military operation that I authorized in a rural area of Tibu, Norte de Santander (department), our National Army and Colombian Air Force struck this criminal organization, which seeks to sow terror and exert control over Catatumbo through fire and bloodshed.
On Friday, he added that the operation, code‑named Noah, had seized a rebel leader known by the alias “Barba Chivo,” a close associate of Andrey Avendano, who commands “Structure 33,” one of the FARC dissident groups operating in the municipality of Tibu.
The president further reported that the raid also resulted in the confiscation of seven rifles and 15 drone‑dropped grenades and the neutralization of three encampments capable of accommodating roughly 35 members of the criminal organization.
De la Espriella stated that the offensive against FARC dissidents would continue until the organization’s top leaders were captured and brought to justice for the attacks the group has carried out throughout the country.
Since taking office on August 7, the president has ordered seven bombing raids against various armed criminal and rebel groups in the Catatumbo region and beyond. These targets have included the two main FARC dissident factions, the National Liberation Army, and the Clan del Golfo criminal group in Guaviare, Choco and other areas.
Operation Noah is described as part of a broader campaign to eliminate FARC’s criminal influence along the Venezuelan border, a strategic focus highlighted by repeated references to the group’s continued capacity to “sow terror” in the area.
The announcement underscores the Colombian government’s emphasis on the accountability of armed actors. By publicly detailing the number of militants killed, the detainees captured, and the weapons seized, the administration signals a commitment to confronting illegal armed organizations head‑on.
Civic stakeholders—including local communities in the Catatumbo basin—have expressed concern about the safety implications of the continued presence of criminal actors. The state’s public stance, however, frames the operation as a decisive step toward reducing violence and restoring the rule of law in the border region.
Future operations are expected to build on the momentum set by this strike. The government has indicated that the next phase will focus on apprehending remaining high‑ranking leaders and ensuring they face judicial proceedings for past offenses.
These developments will likely influence ongoing discussions around Colombia’s national security strategy, the military’s role in border enforcement, and the broader legal framework for prosecuting criminal insurgent groups.
