The ELN and dissident FARC elements vowed to resist what they call U.S. "imperial plans" after a reported U.S. operation targeting Nicolás Maduro. Analysts say the ELN controls coca-trafficking corridors and maintains rear bases inside Venezuela. Colombia has reinforced troops along the border and raised alerts amid fears it could be targeted next, while public exchanges between Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have heightened regional tensions.
Colombian Guerrillas Pledge Resistance to U.S. 'Imperialism' After Reported Maduro Operation
Saturday's attack on Venezuela has created fears in Colombia that it could be a future target for US strikes (Raul ARBOLEDA)(Raul ARBOLEDA/AFP/AFP)
Colombian leftist guerrilla groups operating along the Venezuela border vowed on Sunday to resist what they described as Washington's "imperial plans" after a reported U.S. operation aimed at removing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Background
The powerful National Liberation Army (ELN), which controls key cocaine-trafficking corridors along Colombia's frontier with Venezuela, urged "all patriots" to "confront the imperial plans against Venezuela and the peoples of the Global South." Security analysts say the ELN maintains rear bases inside Venezuela that the Maduro government had tolerated.
Dissident FARC Reaction
Dissident elements of the now-defunct FARC rebel army—who compete with the ELN for control of drug-producing regions near Venezuela—also pledged resistance to the United States. Writing on X, dissidents declared they were prepared to give their "last drop of blood fighting the US empire."
Regional Tensions and Government Response
The reported operation to seize Maduro and transfer him to New York to face drug and weapons charges has raised fears in Colombia that it could become a target of future U.S. actions. Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, condemned the move as an "assault on the sovereignty" of Latin America and sent additional troops to the Venezuelan border.
"He's making cocaine and they're sending it into the United States, so he does have to watch his ass," said Donald Trump, in a comment that further escalated tensions between Washington and Bogotá.
Colombian authorities also activated alerts for possible attacks by armed groups operating on both sides of the border. Security experts warn that any further escalation could destabilize border communities, complicate efforts to curb drug trafficking, and increase humanitarian pressures in the region.
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