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☆ Ecuador: As terror grips the streets, even the armed forces live in fear
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( David Culver | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Suddenly, residents, including Camille and Diego, found themselves seeking a safe place for themselves and their loved ones. Ecuadorean Police/Handout via ReutersHours after terror broke out in Guayaquil, President Daniel Noboa took an unprecedented step. Noboa, who had only been inaugurated two months earlier, declared an “internal armed conflict” in the country and ordered Ecuador’s armed forces to “neutralize” the members of more than 20 gangs, which he labeled as terror groups. Since then, Ecuador’s national police and armed forces have been carrying out raids of homes of those with suspected ties to terror groups. Experts warn that Ecuador’s terror groups are aligned with a wider criminal network, including the notorious Sinaloa Cartel out of Mexico, complicating Noboa’s attempts to “neutralize” criminal groups operating within his borders.

Persons: Ecuador CNN — Camille Gamarra, Diego Gallardo, Camille, Diego, “, ’ ” Camille, ” Camille, – José Adolfo Macías, ” –, Jose Adolfo Macias, Daniel Noboa, they’ve, ”, Jaime Vela Erazo, Fito, Sean Walker, Noboa, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, It’s, Carlos Jimenez, ” Jimenez, Jimenez, he’s, “ I’ve, I’ve, “ I’m, Noboa’s, Cesar Suarez Organizations: Ecuador CNN, Ecuadorean Police, Handout, Reuters, CNN, Joint Command, Ecuador’s Armed Forces, Colombian, RCN, Residents, TC Television Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, United States, Europe, Sinaloa, Mexico, Aire, Golfo

Mendoza, a former fighter for the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, dragged her children back inside the house. In interviews with Reuters, those people recounted how the attacks left conservation projects adrift, with conservationists withdrawing from environmental protection works because of fear of more violence. Municipal data from local environmental authorities and the Colombian Institute of Meteorology (IDEAM) also showed that in the year after each killing, deforestation at a local level was worse than national trends. Santofimio's killing brought his hard-fought conservation project to a halt. In the tree nursery, which stopped work after Santofimio's killing, saplings bask in the dappled sunlight beneath protective nets.

Persons: Duberney Lopez, Jorge Santofimio, PUERTO, Leidy Mendoza, Mendoza, Jorge !, they'd, Susana Muhamad, Muhamad, Colombia's, –, Armando Aroca, Santofimio, Lopez, Kevin Murakami, Comuccom, Aroca, Javier Franciso Parra, Francisco couldn't, Andres Felipe Garcia, Cormacarena, Parra, Garcia, Luisz Martinez, Martinez, La, KfW, Roberto Gomez, Gonzalo Cardona, Sara Ines Lara, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Katy Daigle, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Revolutionary Armed Forces, Colombian, Villagers, Reuters, Environment Ministry, Global, Colombian Institute of Meteorology, Comuccom, International Narcotics, Law, Affairs, U.S, National Liberation Army, UN, Programme, Meta, UNDP, Progress, World Wildlife Fund, Security, USAID, Thomson Locations: Colombia, PUERTO GUZMAN, Putumayo, Bogota, La, Meta, La Macarena, Amazonia, Puerto Guzman

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. Treasury has announced sanctions against nine affiliates of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug trafficking cartel, as well as the current leader of Colombia’s powerful Clan del Golfo criminal enterprise. The Office of Foreign Assets Control designated all 10 for their roles in drug trafficking, meaning any of their assets in the United States will be blocked and U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from dealing with any of their assets. The nine affiliates of the Sinaloa cartel follow a U.S. indictment unsealed in April that targeted a branch of the Sinaloa cartel run by the sons of former leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Mexico extradited one of those sons, Ovidio Guzmán López, earlier this month to the United States. “Today’s actions reinforce the United States’ whole of government approach to saving lives by disrupting illicit drug supply chains,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

Persons: del, Joaquín “, Ovidio Guzmán López, Antony Blinken, de Jesus Avila Villadiego, “ Chiquito, ”, U.S . Avila, Avila Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Treasury, Foreign Assets Control, Colombian, de, U.S ., Southern District of, of Locations: MEXICO, U.S, Sinaloa, United States, Guzmán, Mexico, Colombia, Bogota, Avila, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Eastern, of New York

☆ Exclusive: At least 40% of Colombia's ELN rebels seen rejecting peace deal, security sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Pablo Beltran, head of leftist guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN), speaks with members of the media in Caracas, Venezuela January 21, 2023. It would also appear to undermine repeated reassurances by ELN leaders that the group is united behind talks. The three security sources said some 2,300 of the ELN's total 5,850 members were seen as likely to reject the deal. The ELN talks, which restarted in November 2022, are the most advanced of Petro's peace efforts, which also include conversations with crime gangs like the Clan del Golfo. "We don't deny the risks that could come from a dialogue that doesn't acknowledge that reality," Rueda said, but added that orders from national ELN leaders are respected by fighters.

Persons: Pablo Beltran, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Gustavo Petro, holdouts, they're, Antonio Garcia, Danilo Rueda, Rueda, Ariel Avila, Avila, Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis Organizations: National Liberation Army, REUTERS, Rights, Colombia's National Liberation Army, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Northeastern Fronts, Reuters, Green Alliance, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia, Eastern

☆ Pre-Olympics swimming event at risk as storms dirty Seine river
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( America Hernandez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paris 2024 Olympics - Training for test swimming event for Paris 2024 - River Seine, Paris, France - August 4, 2023 A tourist boat is pictured on the River Seine beside the Pont Alexandre III bridge REUTERS/Stephanie LecocqPARIS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Participants of this weekend's Open Water Swimming World Cup were barred from a Friday morning training session in Paris' river Seine as heavy rainfall caused water quality to dip below health standards, the French Swimming Federation (FFN) said. The women's 10 kilometre race on Saturday - a qualifying event for marathon swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics - is still scheduled to go ahead, pending a new river water quality test on Friday evening. "The water quality tests are done regularly, and they are progressively improving," the spokesperson added. International federation World Aquatics did not immediately respond to a request for comment about further backup plans for the races if Seine water quality does not improve this weekend. The city has been working on clean-up efforts to make the Seine swimmable again, as it was during the 1900 Paris Olympics more than a century ago.

Persons: Pont Alexandre III, Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, Jacques Chirac, America Hernandez, Geert De Clercq Organizations: Paris, French Swimming Federation, Olympics, Thomson Locations: Seine, Paris, France, Villette, Egypt, Italy

☆ Colombia, ELN rebels start six-month ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] An attendee looks on during an event with peace negotiators of Colombia's government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, in Bogota, Colombia August 3, 2023. "Welcome to peace," Petro told the inauguration of a committee meant to ensure civil society participation in the talks. The government's high peace commissioner, Danilo Rueda, had said on Tuesday the ceasefire would safeguard civilians and protect them from crimes like kidnapping. The United Nations Secretary-General congratulated the two sides on the ceasefire in a statement on Thursday, hailing its potential to reduce civilian suffering. The U.N. Verification Mission in Colombia will monitor the effort under a mandate form the Security Council.

Persons: Vannessa Jimenez, Gustavo Petro's, Petro, Eliecer Herlinto Chamorro, guerre Antonio Garcia, Danilo Rueda, Aureliano Carbonell, Carbonell, del, Rueda, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Leslie Adler Organizations: National Liberation Army, REUTERS, United Nations, Security Council, Force, Clan, Reuters, Congress, Estado Mayor Central, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Segunda, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Vannessa Jimenez BOGOTA, Petro

☆ Colombia President Petro's son arrested in money laundering probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, July 29 (Reuters) - Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, has been arrested as part of an investigation into money laundering and illicit enrichment, the attorney general's office said early on Saturday. Also arrested on money laundering and personal data violation accusations was Nicolas' ex-wife Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, who earlier this year told local media two people accused of involvement with drug trafficking had given Nicolas money for his father's campaign. May these occurrences forge his character and may he reflect about his own errors," the president said. The attorney general's office will request to a judge that the younger Petro and Vasquez be held on the charges, it said. "Charges will be formulated for the aforementioned crimes and liberty restriction measures will be requested," the attorney general's office said in a statement, adding the arrests took place at 6 a.m. local time (1100 GMT).

Persons: Nicolas Petro, Gustavo Petro, Petro, Nicolas, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, Golfo, Vasquez, Julia Symmes Cobb, Diane Craft Organizations: National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Atlantico province

[1/10] People attend to cast their vote at a polling station during the first round of Guatemala's presidential election in Chinautla, Guatemala, June 25, 2023. She is up against more than 20 other candidates, including Edmond Mulet, a career diplomat, and Zury Rios, daughter of the late dictator Efrain Rios Montt. "All the young people right now will have a role in politics in Guatemala in 20 years time ... "(The next) four years won't allow time to undo how poorly managed the government has been for so many years," said Andres Nolasco, a 25-year-old accountant from Guatemala City. Reporting by Sofía Menchú in Guatemala City and Diego Oré in Mexico City; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Chizu Nomiyama and Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Edmond Mulet, Zury Rios, Efrain Rios Montt, Maximo Santacruz, Julio Valenzuela, Alejandro Giammattei, Carlos Pineda, Pineda, Carolina Jimenez, San Jose del Golfo, Irma Palencia, Andres Nolasco, Torres, Alvaro Colom, Sofía Menchú, Diego Oré, Isabel Woodford, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Nomiyama, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Young, European Union, Washington, Central American, Thomson Locations: Chinautla, Guatemala, Josue, GUATEMALA, United States, America, WOLA, San Jose, Guatemala City, Mexico City

☆ Panama boosts security in Darien Gap to confront human traffickers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Operation Choco" aims to stop transnational organized crime in the Darien by mobilizing aerial support and confronting crime groups "head on," Security Minister Juan Pino told a press conference. It is affecting national security, not only in Panama but across the continent," Pino said, stressing that the initiative was "totally Panamanian." In April, Panama joined Colombia and the United States in a pledge to increase joint actions against human traffickers in Darien Gap. This is an effort wholly from the Panamanian state, because we are seeing that the situation of irregular migration is being exploited by transnational organized crime, which is profiting in the millions," he said. More than 166,000 migrants have crossed the Darien so far this year, according to the security ministry, mostly children and teenagers.

Persons: Carlos Jasso, Juan Pino, Pino, Oriel Ortega, Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, PANAMA CITY, Thomson Locations: Puerto Obaldia, Guana Yala, Panama, Colombia, Darien, United States, Colombian, Panamanian

☆ Colombia suspends ceasefire with Estado Mayor Central rebels in some areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, May 22 (Reuters) - Colombia's government on Monday suspended a national ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) armed group in some provinces, following the murder of four Indigenous teenagers. The EMC was founded by dissident former members of the now-demobilized FARC rebels, who reject a 2016 peace deal signed by that group. "The current bilateral ceasefire with this armed group in the provinces of Meta, Caqueta, Guaviare and Putumayo is suspended and all offensive operations are reactivated," the government said in a statement. The EMC has an estimated 3,500 members, including nearly 2,200 combatants, and operates in 23 of Colombia's 32 provinces, according to security force documents. Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Colombian president suspends ceasefire with criminal group
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, March 19 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Sunday said he had suspended a ceasefire with the Clan del Golfo, the country's largest criminal organization, because it had attacked police. "I have ordered the armed forces to reactivate all military operations against the Clan del Golfo," Petro said in a tweet. Minutes later, Petro tweeted: "The rifle attack on the police force by the Clan del Golfo breaks the ceasefire.... Days earlier, in a radio interview on March 13, Petro accused the group of destroying a municipal aqueduct in Antioquia province amid roadblocks connected to protests by informal gold miners. Petro said the group had "broken the ceasefire" and there was no possibility of negotiations with the group if they continue attacks.

☆ Colombian president accuses criminal group of breaking ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, March 13 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday said the Clan del Golfo, the country's largest criminal organization, has broken a ceasefire and there is no possibility of negotiations with the group if they continue attacks. In a radio interview, Petro accused the group of destroying a municipal aqueduct in Antioquia province amid roadblocks connected to protests by informal gold miners. The Clan del Golfo versus humble people," Petro said in a Twitter message on Sunday. Gold miner Mineros SA has suspended operations in the region until it can guarantee security, it said in a statement. The government's National Mining Agency (ANM) last year said it would create a public company to help informal miners and put a dent in Colombia's illegal gold trade.

☆ Colombia prosecutor suspends warrant for FARC dissidents in step toward talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Estado Mayor Central armed group was founded by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who did not join that group's demobilization and conversion to a legal political party. The suspension will allow discussions to take place between the dissidents and government officials, Petro said on Twitter - a first step to beginning formal talks. The government is already in peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels and the two sides have said they are progressing toward a bilateral ceasefire deal. The country's top peace official told Reuters last month the government expects talks with the Estado Mayor and Segunda Marquetalia, another FARC dissident group, within weeks. The attorney general said in January he would not drop extradition warrants for drug-trafficking bosses, with whom Petro wants to agree surrender deals.

☆ Violence in Colombia falls in first month of ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Colombia's ceasefire with four armed groups has led to significant reductions in violence during its first month, Interior Minister Alfonso Prada said on Monday, with fewer murders and attacks on armed forces. Homicides in provinces heavily affected by conflict and where one or more of the groups participating in the ceasefire are active fell by up to 68%, he said, without giving absolute figures. The Pacific province of Choco saw the 68% reduction, followed closely by Arauca, on the Venezuelan border, which saw murders fall by 66%. In Cordoba homicides were down 52%, while in Magdalena they fell 37%, Prada said. Prada did not give figures for members of illegal armed groups killed this month, but the country's navy said earlier on Monday at least nine rebels from the ELN died in fighting last weekend close to Buenaventura.

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group said on Saturday they will resume peace talks in Mexico next month, overcoming a recent impasse after the government recently declared and then called off a bilateral ceasefire. There was a first cycle of talks last year in Caracas to end the guerrillas' part in nearly six decades of war. The about-face on the ceasefire came after ELN said it had not agreed to it. "In said cycle, the issue of society's participation in peace building will be addressed. Colombia and the ELN said they would jointly examine progress in implementing agreements reached during the first cycle of talks and agreed to keep communication channels open even when not at the negotiating table.

☆ Colombia, ELN rebels likely to hold emergency meeting in Caracas-negotiator
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group could hold an emergency meeting in Caracas as early as this week, the head of the government negotiating team said on Tuesday. Colombia declared and then called off a bilateral ceasefire with the group last week after the ELN said it had not agreed to the move. But Mexico was not yet ready to host, Otty Patino, the head of the government's negotiating team told Blu Radio and the two sides could hold a prior meeting back in Caracas this week or next. A meeting in Caracas "is not a cycle but an emergency meeting" he added. Petro, who took office last year, has pledged to seek peace agreements or surrender deals with armed groups of all stripes.

☆ Colombia ELN leftist guerrilla group declares Christmas ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaBOGOTA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Colombian leftist guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN) on Monday declared a nine-day unilateral ceasefire over the Christmas period, as part of a bid to support peace talks with the Andean country's government, which urged other illegal armed groups to follow suit. Colombia's government and the ELN last week completed the first cycle of peace talks between the two parties in Venezuela's capital Caracas. The unilateral ceasefire will only apply to Colombia's military and police, the ELN said in a recorded statement, adding it reserves the right to defend itself if attacked. Following the announcement, Colombia's government called on other armed groups also to call a ceasefire. Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra and Oliver Griffin Writing by Oliver Griffin Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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