▲ Weapons returned by Colombian rebels
The Venezuelan military attacked an encampment of Colombian left-wing rebels operating within its territory, leaving at least 19 dead, AFP reported on November 1 (local time).
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and related sources told AFP that on October 31, a bombing targeted the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian rebel group stationed in Venezuela's border state of Apure, and 19 bodies were transported to the state capital of San Fernando.
Along the 2,200-kilometer border between Venezuela and Colombia, where border control is lax, various armed groups are involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling.
The ELN is a faction that broke away from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and has crossed into the Venezuelan border to commit such criminal acts.
Since FARC signed a peace agreement with the Colombian government in 2016, the ELN has been considered one of the most powerful rebel organizations in Latin America.
The Colombian government has previously claimed that the left-leaning regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro provides safe havens to Colombian rebels.
Javier Tarazona, head of the NGO Fundaredes, told AFP that this marks the first time the Venezuelan military has attacked the ELN stationed within its own country.
As a result, interpretations are emerging that this operation by the Venezuelan military against the ELN signals a shift in the Venezuelan government's stance toward Colombian rebels following the ouster of the Maduro regime by the United States in January of this year.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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