Latest news with #FARCEMC
Winnipeg Free Press
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Colombia suspends extradition of rebel leader wanted in the US for drug trafficking
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a rebel leader's extradition to the United States, arguing that his presence in Colombia is needed to advance peace talks that seek to disarm hundreds of fighters in a region bordering Venezuela. Willington Henao Gutiérrez, known as 'Mocho Olmedo' is one of the leaders of the 33rd front of FARC EMC, a rebel group with around 400 fighters that operates in the northeastern Catatumbo region. He is wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking and money laundering and his extradition was approved by Colombia's Supreme Court in May. But in a resolution published on June 26, and revealed by Colombian media on Tuesday, Petro ordered the suspension of Henao's extradition, mandating him to provide 'verifiable contributions and concrete results' to peace talks between the 33rd front and the Colombian government. The resolution says that if Henao fails to contribute to talks, he will be handed over to U.S. authorities. Henao, in Colombian government custody since February, is the second rebel leader to have his extradition suspended by Petro this year. In May, the government delayed the extradition of Gabriel Yepes Mejía, a commander of the Comuneros del Sur rebel group also facing drug trafficking charges. In June, Colombia's newly appointed justice minister, Eduardo Montealegre, told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo that the Petro administration would suspend the extradition of rebel leaders who agree to participate in peace talks — even if that strains relations with the United States. Henao was indicted by a Florida court in 2023 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges, with prosecutors alleging he conspired to ship 115 kilos (253 pounds) of cocaine to the U.S. The Petro administration and the U.S. government have often clashed over drug policy, with U.S. officials urging Colombia to do more to reduce coca crops and warning that future cooperation on security depends on concrete results in the fight against drug trafficking. Colombia's first leftist government has staged peace talks with numerous rebel groups and drug gangs in an effort to improve security in rural areas, where groups like the FARC-EMC have filled the void left by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the guerrilla group that made peace with the government in 2016. But the talks have yielded few results so far, with human rights groups saying that extortion, forced displacement and the recruitment of children are on the rise. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Toronto Star
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Colombia suspends extradition of rebel leader wanted in the US for drug trafficking
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a rebel leader's extradition to the United States, arguing that his presence in Colombia is needed to advance peace talks that seek to disarm hundreds of fighters in a region bordering Venezuela. Willington Henao Gutiérrez, known as 'Mocho Olmedo' is one of the leaders of the 33rd front of FARC EMC, a rebel group with around 400 fighters that operates in the northeastern Catatumbo region. He is wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking and money laundering and his extradition was approved by Colombia's Supreme Court in May.
The Hill
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Colombia suspends extradition of rebel leader wanted in the US for drug trafficking
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a rebel leader's extradition to the United States, arguing that his presence in Colombia is needed to advance peace talks that seek to disarm hundreds of fighters in a region bordering Venezuela. Willington Henao Gutiérrez, known as 'Mocho Olmedo' is one of the leaders of the 33rd front of FARC EMC, a rebel group with around 400 fighters that operates in the northeastern Catatumbo region. He is wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking and money laundering and his extradition was approved by Colombia's Supreme Court in May. But in a resolution published on June 26, and revealed by Colombian media on Tuesday, Petro ordered the suspension of Henao's extradition, mandating him to provide 'verifiable contributions and concrete results' to peace talks between the 33rd front and the Colombian government. The resolution says that if Henao fails to contribute to talks, he will be handed over to U.S. authorities. Henao, in Colombian government custody since February, is the second rebel leader to have his extradition suspended by Petro this year. In May, the government delayed the extradition of Gabriel Yepes Mejía, a commander of the Comuneros del Sur rebel group also facing drug trafficking charges. In June, Colombia's newly appointed justice minister, Eduardo Montealegre, told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo that the Petro administration would suspend the extradition of rebel leaders who agree to participate in peace talks — even if that strains relations with the United States. Henao was indicted by a Florida court in 2023 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges, with prosecutors alleging he conspired to ship 115 kilos (253 pounds) of cocaine to the U.S. The Petro administration and the U.S. government have often clashed over drug policy, with U.S. officials urging Colombia to do more to reduce coca crops and warning that future cooperation on security depends on concrete results in the fight against drug trafficking. Colombia's first leftist government has staged peace talks with numerous rebel groups and drug gangs in an effort to improve security in rural areas, where groups like the FARC-EMC have filled the void left by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the guerrilla group that made peace with the government in 2016. But the talks have yielded few results so far, with human rights groups saying that extortion, forced displacement and the recruitment of children are on the rise. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Washington Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Colombia suspends extradition of rebel leader wanted in the US for drug trafficking
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a rebel leader's extradition to the United States, arguing that his presence in Colombia is needed to advance peace talks that seek to disarm hundreds of fighters in a region bordering Venezuela. Willington Henao Gutiérrez, known as 'Mocho Olmedo' is one of the leaders of the 33rd front of FARC EMC , a rebel group with around 400 fighters that operates in the northeastern Catatumbo region. He is wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking and money laundering and his extradition was approved by Colombia's Supreme Court in May.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
At least 7 killed in explosions and attacks outside police stations in southwest Colombia
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Seven people, including two police officers, were killed in Colombia on Tuesday, as rebel groups detonated bombs near police stations in the city of Cali and the neighboring Cauca province, Colombia's National Police said in a statement. Military and police spokespeople blamed the attacks on the FARC-EMC, a group led by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia who broke away from the group after it signed a peace deal with the government in 2016. Authorities said the rebels placed bombs in cars and motorcycles that were parked near police stations, while also waging some attacks with gunfire and grenades. Colombia's police said there were a total of 24 attacks on Tuesday in the city Cali and the surrounding provinces of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, in which 28 people were also injured, including 19 civilians. The attacks on the police stations come just days after Miguel Uribe, a conservative presidential candidate, was shot during a rally in Bogota. Authorities say they are investigating who was behind the attack on Uribe, who is in a critical condition in hospital in Bogota. Colombia's government has struggled to contain violence in urban and rural areas as several rebel groups try to take over territory abandoned by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia following its peace deal with the government. Peace talks between the FARC-EMC faction and the government broke down last year after a series of attacks on indigenous communities. The government is currently holding talks with another faction of the group, that is led by commander Luis Alberto Alban, known also as Marcos Calarca. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at Associated Press, The Associated Press
