The ELN's leader, Antonio García, told AFP his group would join a united rebel front to repel any U.S. military intervention, framing such action as defense of the homeland. Calls for insurgent unity follow the reported ouster of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and allegations of close ELN ties to Caracas. Colombian authorities warn that rebel unity heightens the security threat as Bogotá coordinates more closely with Washington amid recent U.S. strikes on suspected trafficking vessels.
ELN Commander Pledges to Fight U.S. Forces — Calls for Unified Rebel Front After Venezuela Crisis
ELN Guerrilla First Commander Antonio Garcia photographed in Havana in June 2023 (YAMIL LAGE)(YAMIL LAGE/AFP/AFP)
The commander of Colombia's largest guerrilla group on Thursday endorsed calls for leftist militias to join forces to resist any potential U.S. military operations on Colombian soil.
"If it's to defend the homeland against foreign aggression, we'll join the fight," ELN leader Antonio García told AFP when asked about proposals for a united insurgent front.
President Donald Trump has suggested that U.S. forces could turn their attention to targets in Colombia, saying Bogotá is not doing enough to stop drug flows to the United States. These remarks come amid broader regional turmoil following the reported ouster of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro—an event that sources say has driven shifts in guerrilla leadership and alliances across the border.
Officially a leftist insurgency, the roughly 6,000-strong ELN also plays a major role in drug trafficking in the region. The group controls stretches of the Colombia–Venezuela border and, until recent upheaval in Caracas, is reported to have maintained close links with Venezuelan authorities. Colombian intelligence sources allege García lived in Venezuela until recently, and some guerrilla leaders are believed to have returned to Colombia after the changes in Caracas.
United Front
Other Colombian rebel factions have reacted angrily to Maduro's removal, denouncing what they call a U.S. colonialist plot. Iván Mordisco, a top dissident leader and one of Colombia's most-wanted rebels, urged commanders across dissident and leftist groups to form a pact to repel perceived U.S. intervention.
"We know we have had our differences in the past... but today we are facing a common enemy," Mordisco said in a video message. "Let us forge a great insurgent front to drive back our enemies."
Speaking from hiding in a message to AFP, García said the ELN would be prepared to confront U.S. forces if necessary. "The ELN does what it must at each stage of the struggle," he said.
Colombia's Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez cautioned that guerrilla unity could increase the risk of "lethal action" against insurgent groups. Under pressure from Washington and following personal clashes with President Trump, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has signaled agreement to intensified "joint action" against the ELN and other drug traffickers.
Relations between Bogotá and Washington have a long history of security cooperation, but tensions have risen amid recent political disputes. Bogotá accuses the ELN of launching attacks and kidnapping soldiers in Colombia before withdrawing to rear positions inside Venezuela. An expansion of U.S. strikes to ground targets in Colombia would mark a significant widening of operations against suspected drug traffickers.
Since September, U.S. strikes on suspected trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific are believed to have killed more than 100 people. Colombia and Venezuela share a porous 2,200-kilometer (1,400-mile) border where various armed groups compete over profits from drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling.
Context: The evolving dynamic along the Colombia–Venezuela border—combined with public threats and retaliatory rhetoric—has raised concerns that a regional security crisis could intensify if insurgent groups heed calls for a united front.
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