Soldiers Held by Civilians amid Tensions in Southwest Colombia

Monday 23 June 2025 - 13:33

By: Zahouani Ilham

Soldiers Held by Civilians amid Tensions in Southwest Colombia

The Colombian army has confirmed that 57 of its soldiers have been captured by civilians in the country’s volatile southwestern region, specifically in a mountainous area known as the Micay Canyon. The incident began on Saturday during a military operation in El Tambo, when an initial platoon was detained. The following day, another group of soldiers was intercepted by roughly 200 residents while en route to the town of El Plateado, located in the same zone.

According to a statement from the army, four noncommissioned officers and 53 professional soldiers remain in captivity as a result of the two incidents. General Federico Alberto Mejía, who commands military operations in the area, described the situation as a "kidnapping" carried out by rebels who had infiltrated the local population.

Authorities believe the civilians involved are under the influence of the Central General Staff (EMC), the principal faction of FARC dissidents that rejected the 2016 peace agreement with the Colombian government.

President Gustavo Petro has insisted that the release of the soldiers is essential. His administration has been working to reestablish control over the Micay Canyon, a strategic area for cocaine trafficking. However, efforts to reduce violence across both rural and urban regions have faced setbacks, as various armed groups compete for control of territories formerly held by the FARC.

This resurgence of conflict has raised fears among Colombians of a return to the widespread violence that plagued the country during the 1980s and 1990s. Meanwhile, peace negotiations between the government and the EMC faction collapsed last year following attacks on Indigenous communities.