These are the fearsome criminal organizations and dissidents that the Army cannot combat by presidential order

WEEK learned of a radiogram in which the Omega Joint Task Force of the National Army orders its 6,231 men to stop offensive military operations against various criminal groups in the departments of Meta, Guaviare and Caquetá.

According to the document, the uniformed they must stop fighting the members of the Central General Staff of the FARC (dissidents) and the structures Jorge Briceño, Armando Ríos, Miller Perdomo, Carolina Ramírez, Gaitanistas Self-Defense Group of Colombia (Clan del Golfo), Segunda Marquetalia, Border Command and Army Bolivarian.

According to military sources consulted by WEEK, The document complies with the presidential orders of last December, when President Gustavo Petro decreed a bilateral ceasefire with various criminal organizations.

The president’s measure prevents the Army from taking offensive action against the criminal structures that today flood the jurisdiction of the Omega Joint Task Force, harming the inhabitants of the three departments. These are the fearsome organizations and dissidents that cannot be touched by the authorities in Colombia.

Dissidences of Iván Mordisco

This is the group recognized by the Government as the Central General Staff of the Farc in the bilateral ceasefire decree. This is the first dissidence of the guerrilla group, which was born before the signing of the Peace Agreement in 2016 due to differences in the agreement, led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, alias Iván Mordisco.

After they desisted from joining the Peace Agreement, former President Juan Manuel Santos was forceful in stressing that it was his last chance to rejoin civilian life. At the moment, the structure continues to function in Guaviare and is in constant confrontation with the Segunda Marquetalia, dissidents after the signing.

Jorge Briceño Structure

The Farc dissidence bears the name of one of the most bloodthirsty chiefs of the extinct Farc, known by the alias of Mono Jojoy. The criminal structure operates in Meta and Caquetá, where its main activities are the trafficking and recruitment of minors.

The Jorge Briceño structure was commanded by Miguel Botache Santillana, alias Gentil Duarte, who died in combat in Venezuela in May of last year.

This criminal group is credited with the attack, in February 2022, with a motorcycle that was installed on the outskirts of the 12th Infantry Battalion, in the municipality of Granada, in the department of Meta, in which a driver died and a soldier. The person responsible, according to intelligence information, was Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias Calarcá, who received direct instructions from Gentil Duarte.

Armando Rios

It was one of the fronts of the extinct Farc with more strength and recruiting capacity, operating in the departments of Vaupés, Guaviare and Guainía. The Army has managed to deal forceful blows to the structure in recent years, capturing leaders and killing important members in the middle of the combat.

They are financed through drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, recruitment of minors, the murder of social leaders and constraining the population in said departments.

Miller Perdomo

A Farc dissidence named in honor of Vladimir González Obregón, a high command surrounded by Mono Jojoy and in charge of guerrilla operations in Cundinamarca. This structure, together with Jorge Briceño, would be behind the protests in which indigenous people kidnapped almost 80 police officers in Caquetá. This violent demonstration led to the murder of an officer from the Mobile Riot Squad (Esmad), who was dealing with the public order crisis.

Carolina Ramirez

It is one of the Farc dissidences that operate in Caquetá, led by Iván Mordisco and financed by drug trafficking routes, cocaine production and drug transportation. Because of the business and territorial control for the sale, he is in constant confrontation with the Border Command.

The war between criminal structures leaves dozens of deaths in the territory, events that the bilateral ceasefire decreed by the Government does not prevent.

gulf clan

The Gaitanistas Self-Defense Forces of Colombia is considered the most malevolent criminal group and with the greatest deployment in national territory. Their origin is paramilitarism and they are financed with drug trafficking, a business that they fight with other structures and dissidents of the Farc.

The group exercises control in dozens of municipalities in the country and owns the coca base market, which has an international presence. Other activities are illegal mining, extortion and micro-trafficking. It is considered that the structure has been weakened since the extradition of its leader, alias Otoniel.

Despite being accused by Aníbal Gaviria, governor of Antioquia, of using miners to foment a strike in the department, in the last few hours they expressed their willingness to be included in the government’s ‘total peace’ project.

Second Marquetalia

La Segunda Marquetalia is the dissidence led by Iván Márquez, who has expressed his desire for dialogue on several occasions. The group was born when a good number of ex-combatants of the Farc decided to return to arms after having been part of the Peace Agreement.

Alias ​​Jesús Santrich, El Paisa and Romaña were part of the leadership before being killed in combat. After rumors of the possible death of Iván Márquez, Danilo Rueda, the government’s high commissioner for Peace, denied the version and assured that he communicates with the guerrilla.

Their operations are deployed between Colombia and Venezuela, where they control cocaine trafficking on the border.

Border Command – Bolivarian Army

It is a structure of the Farc dissidents that operates in Putumayo, born from the division in the southern block of the extinct guerrilla. It is in constant war with other structures that were born as a result of the dissolution of the guerrilla group for the drug-trafficking business.

At the end of last year, it was one of the structures that openly expressed interest in being part of the “total peace” of the government of Gustavo Petro.