There are around 1,900 Colombian rebel fighters working in Venezuela, Colombia’s military chief General Luis Fernando Navarro told Reuters Wednesday.
By The Hill – Lexi Lonas
Sep 30, 2021
Colombia has said for a while that Venezuela is harboring Colombian crime groups and criminals, but this is the first time a military commander has put a number on it.
Navarro estimated the number of fighters from the Colombian rebel organization National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents groups who are in Venezuela.
“In total in the (Venezuelan) states of Zulia, Táchira, Apure and Amazonas, we calculate there could be between 1,100 and 1,200 criminals from the ELN and some 700 from the FARC dissidents,” Navarro told Reuters.
“It’s a factor of instability that the strategic rearguard of these structures is in Venezuelan border states. This obviously makes it difficult to combat them,” he added.
The groups will go to Colombia to attack then retreat to Venezuela for safety from authorities, according to Navarro.
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Read More: The Hill – Colombian military chief says nearly 2,000 rebel fighters are in Venezuela: report
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