Latest news with #MicayCanyon
Al Jazeera
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Colombia's army says 57 soldiers kidnapped in restive southwest
The Colombian army says more than 50 soldiers have been seized by civilians in a southwest mountainous area. A platoon of soldiers was the first to be seized on Saturday during an operation in El Tambo, a municipality that is part of an area known as the Micay Canyon, a key zone for cocaine production and one of the most tense in the country's ongoing security crisis. On Sunday, another group of soldiers was surrounded by at least 200 residents as they headed towards the town of El Plateado, in the same region. 'As a result of both events [both kidnappings], a total of four noncommissioned officers and 53 professional soldiers remain deprived of their liberty,' the army said on Sunday. General Federico Alberto Mejia, who leads military operations in the southwest, added in a video that it was a 'kidnapping' by rebels who had 'infiltrated' the community. The Colombian army has maintained that the civilians in the region receive orders from the Central General Staff (EMC), the main dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that refused to be part of a peace deal with the government in 2016. President Gustavo Petro, who has pledged to bring peace to the country, said on social media that freeing the soldiers 'is imperative'. The left-wing leader has been trying for months to ensure that the country's armed forces gain access to Micay Canyon. But his government has struggled to contain violence in urban and rural areas as several rebel groups try to take over territory abandoned by the FARC after the peace deal. This has made many Colombians fearful of a return to the bloody violence of the 1980s and 90s, when cartel attacks and political assassinations were frequent. Peace talks between the FARC-EMC faction and the government broke down last year after a series of attacks on Indigenous communities.
Arab News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
More than 50 Colombian soldiers held by residents in restive region: army
BOGOTA: More than 50 Colombian soldiers were being held captive Sunday by residents of a guerrilla-controlled region in the southwest of the country, the army said. A first platoon of soldiers was carrying out an operation in El Tambo, a municipality part of an area known as the Micay Canyon — a cocaine-producing enclave — when civilians detained them on Saturday. On Sunday another group of soldiers was surrounded by at least 200 residents as they headed toward El Plateado, another town in the region. 'As a result of both events, a total of four non-commissioned officers and 53 professional soldiers remain deprived of their liberty,' the army said. In conflict-ridden regions of Colombia, some illegal groups at times order civilians to carry out actions to impede the advance of security forces. They are usually released hours later after the intervention of human rights organizations. General Federico Alberto Mejia said in a video that it was a 'kidnapping' by guerrillas who had 'infiltrated' the community. The army has maintained that the farmers receive orders from the so-called Central General Staff (EMC), the main FARC dissident group that did not sign the 2016 peace agreement with the then government. President Gustavo Petro on Sunday urged farmers to 'stop believing in armed groups who obey foreigners,' referring to the guerrillas' alleged ties to Mexican cartels. 'We want to spread peace, but freeing the soldiers, who are their own children, is imperative,' the leftist president wrote on social media platform X. Petro has been trying for months to ensure that the Armed Forces gain access to the entire Micay Canyon. In March, 28 police officers and a soldier were held captive by local residents in the same area. All were released two days later. Colombia is experiencing its worst security crisis in the last decade. Petro attempted to negotiate peace with the EMC, but its main leader, known as 'Ivan Mordisco,' abandoned the talks.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Colombia says 57 soldiers kidnapped by civilians
Colombia's military says 57 soldiers have been kidnapped by civilians in the country's south-western Micay Canyon area. It says 31 soldiers were seized on Saturday while the rest were abducted on Sunday by a group of more than 200 people. The military says the civilians are acting under pressure from dissidents of the Farc rebel group which agreed a peace deal with the government in mountainous region is a key zone for cocaine production and remains one of the most tense in the country's ongoing conflict with rebel groups. In a video statement on social media, Brig Gen Federico Alberto Mejia said four non-commissioned officers and 53 soldiers had been seized over the weekend."This is called kidnapping," he in local media suggest that the EMC rebel group - the largest offshoot of the Farc - may have ordered the EMC has not commented on the issue. The Micay Canyon is used for transporting cocaine to Pacific ports, and drugs are then illegally shipped to other countries.
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Aiming a blow at narcos in Colombia
Farmers Alirio Caicedo and his son Nicolas are among the beneficiaries of the government scheme. A decade ago they planted an expanse of coca as they staked their future on the continued patronage of criminal gangs. Today, they are uprooting the crops and hoping for the best The Caicedos and some 4,000 other Colombian families have agreed to replace their coca with alternative crops such as cocoa and coffee amid a government scheme It is part of a $14.4m project to reduce supply of a product blamed for untold misery in a country where armed groups force rural communities to grow coca and raze forests for its cultivation The project seeks to eradicate coca production on 45,000 hectares in three of Colombia's most conflict-riddled regions, including the southwestern Micay Canyon where the Caicedos family ply their trade in the Argelia municipality For farmers it is a risk. They cannot be sure that their new plantations – coffee in the Caicedos' case – will succeed, or that guerrillas and other groups whose income depend on cocaine sales will leave them in peace 'When one is planting a coca plant, there is hope that in time there will be a harvest and there will be some income,' said Nicolas Caicedo. 'Uprooting the plants means that there will be no more harvests in other words, no more money,' from coca at least Alirio Caicedo and a sack of dried coffee beans. With coca, the Caicedos said they were guaranteed an income of about $800 a month. They have received an initial payment of about $300 under the project to grow coffee, with more to come But another farmer, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said he doubted the project could work in areas such as Argelia where illegal groups outnumber the state in terms of fighters and guns. 'No armed group that lives off [coca] is going to want a farmer to stop growing coca and switch to coffee,' he said Farmers Nicolas and Alirio show coffee beans and coca leaves at their plantation. Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first-ever leftist president, took office in 2022 with the goal of extricating his country from the US-led 'war on drugs' blamed for double-victimisation of rural Colombians already living under the yoke of violent criminal groups Cocaine production in Colombia – the world's biggest exporter of the drug – reached record levels as demand continues to grow in Europe and the US, the principal consumer Photograph: Juan Restrepo/AFP/Getty Images Several previous attempts to get Colombian coca producers to change crops have failed as armed groups caused havoc and government payments and other assistance eventually dried up Colombian soldiers and policemen stand guard in a street in Argelia Gloria Miranda, who heads Colombia's illegal crop substitution programme, cautioned that it would be naive to believe the new initiative could end drug trafficking 'as long as there is a market of 20 million consumers and it (cocaine) remains illegal' President Petro has sought to negotiate with armed groups, meaning fewer military operations and the abandonment of forced coca eradication, but talks have mostly broken down, and the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House in January has ramped up pressure on Bogóta Argelia's secretary of government, Pablo Daza, poses for a picture in Argelia, Cauca department. With high stakes for its crop replacement gamble, observers fear the government may be taken advantage of. Some farmers may 'try to deceive' by taking the money while continuing to grow coca, said Daza Coffee and coca leaf farmer Alirio Caicedo. Used not only for cocaine, the coca leaf is also chewed as a stimulant in Andean countries or brewed into a tea thought to combat altitude sickness Aerial view of Argelia. Colombia's appeals for the leaf to be removed from a UN list of harmful narcotics so it can be commercialised in alternative products such as fertilisers or beverages, have so far fallen on deaf ears Photograph: Juan Restrepo/AFP/Getty Images
Al Jazeera
03-06-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Aiming a blow at narcos, Colombia pays farmers to uproot coca
As cocaine production reaches an unprecedented high, Colombia's government is trialling a more peaceful remedy to its enduring narcotics crisis – offering payments to farmers to uproot coca crops, the primary ingredient in the drug. Alirio Caicedo and his son Nicolas are among the latest beneficiaries. A decade ago, they planted their fields with coca, staking their livelihoods on the persistent demand from criminal gangs. Now, the Caicedos are digging up those same crops, uncertain of what the future holds. They are joined by about 4,000 other Colombian families who have entered into agreements with the government to replace coca with cocoa and coffee. The initiative forms part of a $14.4m effort aimed at reducing the supply of a substance blamed for inflicting immeasurable misery on the country. Colombia's rural communities are often coerced by armed groups into cultivating coca, with forests cleared to make way for the illicit crop. Authorities are aiming to eradicate coca on 45,000 hectares (111,000 acres) in three of Colombia's most conflict-ridden regions, including the southwestern Micay Canyon. For farmers like the Caicedos, the transition is fraught with risk. There is no guarantee their new crops will thrive, nor that guerrillas and other armed groups – whose revenues are tied to cocaine – will leave them in peace. With coca, the Caicedos say they could count on earning approximately $800 a month. Under the new scheme, they have received an initial payment of about $300 to begin cultivating coffee, with more in the pipeline. Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first left-wing president, assumed office in 2022 with a pledge to shift his country away from the United States-led 'war on drugs' – a campaign widely blamed for the double victimisation of rural Colombians living under the shadow of violence. Since then, cocaine production in Colombia – the world's largest exporter – has soared to record levels, driven by sustained demand in Europe and the US. Previous attempts at crop substitution have failed, often undermined by the disruptive actions of armed groups and the eventual drying up of government support. Gloria Miranda, who heads Colombia's illegal crop substitution programme, cautioned that it would be naive to believe the new initiative could end drug trafficking 'as long as there is a market of 20 million consumers and it (cocaine) remains illegal'. President Petro, in his pursuit of 'total peace', has prioritised negotiation with armed groups over military confrontation, rolling back forced coca eradication. However, most talks have faltered, and the return of Donald Trump to the White House in January has intensified pressure on Bogota. The Trump administration is reassessing Colombia's status as a partner in the anti-drug campaign, threatening to curtail millions of dollars in military aid. Given the high stakes, observers are concerned the crop replacement scheme may be exploited. Some farmers may 'try to deceive' by accepting state funds while continuing to cultivate coca, warned Argelia's government secretary, Pablo Daza. Without rigorous oversight, 'the chances are quite high that we are wasting money,' said Emilio Archila, who oversaw a similar, ultimately unsuccessful, programme under former President Ivan Duque. Miranda insists that 'meticulous' satellite monitoring will ensure compliance, promising that anyone found in breach will be expelled from the programme. While coca is best known as the raw material for cocaine, its leaves are chewed as a stimulant in Andean cultures and brewed as a tea believed to alleviate altitude sickness. Colombia has repeatedly called for coca leaf to be removed from the United Nations list of harmful narcotics in order to license its use in alternative products, such as fertilisers or beverages – appeals which, for now, remain unanswered.
