Colombia's president says two key leaders of National Liberation Army killed

Colombia's president says at least 10 members of the country's National Liberation Army, including two key leaders, were killed in a recent military attackByThe Associated PressOctober 25, 2026, 4:38 PMBOGOTA -- At least 10 members of Colombia’s National Liberation Army, including two key leaders, were killed in a recent military attack, President Abelardo de la Espriella announced Sunday.He described the attack as “the hardest blow” to hit the guerrilla group in the last eight years.The operation took place Thursday in a rural area of El Tambo, in the Cauca department of Colombia’s Pacific region.Individuals known as “Marcos Pacífico” and “Ochenta” (or “Murillo”) — both senior leaders within the “José María Becerra” bloc of the group’s southwestern front — were killed during the operation. De la Espriella said their deaths have disrupted their “chain of command … and their ability to direct criminal activities.”The president accused “Marcos Pacífico” of killing 62 people, recruiting minors and displacing some 500 people in his 24-year history with the guerrilla group. His influence extended across units in the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca and Nariño, de la Espriella added.Popular ReadsThe president also accused him of masterminding “the illegal unrest that fueled urban terrorism in 2019 and 2021.”While describing the operation as a “decisive” blow against the group, the Colombian president acknowledged that this single operation “does not end the threat” posed by the National Liberation Army, which could potentially regroup.Recently, the top leaders of the National Liberation Army — a guerrilla group that has been armed since 1964 — were sentenced in absentia to prison terms ranging from 11 to 20 years for the forced recruitment of at least 60 minors. The Colombian justice system has ordered the arrest of suspects including Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias “Gabino” — who served as the guerrilla group’s top commander from 1998 to 2021 — as well as Eliécer Herlindo Chamorro Acosta, alias “Antonio García,” the current top commander of the insurgency; Israel Ramírez Pineda, alias “Pablo Beltrán,” second-in-command; and Gustavo Aníbal Giraldo Quinchía, alias “Pablito,” third in the chain of command.The conservative de la Espriella, who took office on Aug. 7, has ended peace negotiation talks started by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro and has pledged to take a “hard-line” approach.Sponsored Content by Taboola