- Clashes broke out between two factions of the dissolved FARC.
- Clashes were recorded in the Piripal village: Mayor Rodríguez
- Several guerrilla factions compete for control of the jungle territory.
Clashes between two dissident factions of the disbanded FARC guerrilla left 48 dead in the Colombian Amazon, a local mayor said AFP on Thursday, days before the May 31 presidential election.
“The bodies are piled up there, they must be evacuated,” said Willy Rodríguez, mayor of the regional capital, San José del Guaviare, located six hours from the site of the fighting. AFP in a phone call.
Colombia has been rocked by the worst wave of violence since the FARC laid down their arms in 2016, after half a century of war with the government.
Several smaller guerrilla factions are vying for control of jungle territory once controlled by the rebel army, as well as revenue from drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The mayor said that the clashes occurred in the hamlet of Vereda Piripal and that the community itself provided the provisional death toll.
An army source said AFP that fighting in a historic FARC stronghold began on Monday.
There is no information on whether it is currently underway, and rescue teams have not yet arrived at the scene.
The bloodshed marks a new blow to outgoing leftist President Gustavo Petro’s failed “total peace” strategy, a hot topic in the presidential campaign.
The left-wing senator leading the race to succeed Petro, Iván Cepeda, has promised to continue dialogue with armed groups.
Their right-wing rivals, led by tough lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, a fan of US President Donald Trump, argue that the rebels must be crushed militarily.
The security situation looms large during the elections, which have been marred by assassinations, kidnappings and bomb attacks.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said 408,000 security forces backed by “planes, ships, drones, anti-drone systems and armored vehicles” had been deployed to ensure the vote took place peacefully.
If no candidate obtains more than 50% of the vote, a second round between the two main contenders will be held on June 21.
