Colombian guerrillas reportedly leaving Venezuela after Maduro's fall
Colombian guerrilla commanders who have long operated in Venezuelan territory are on the run following the US military operation that led to the overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to Colombian sources. An officer of the Colombian armed forces told AFP, the Straits Times reports.
Bogota has long suspected Caracas of tolerating the presence of leaders of groups such as the National Liberation Army or factions of the former FARC. These groups have used Venezuelan territory as a base for drug smuggling and operations along the shared border, according to security experts.
Following the weekend intervention by Washington, the Colombian armed forces have recorded the movement of several guerrilla commanders heading back to Colombia. The Ministry of Defence in Bogotá warned of security threats and reinforced the military presence along the more than 2 200 kilometres of border.
Colombian soldiers were spotted in the border town of Cúcuta on 6 January. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of having links to drug groups and urged him to "watch out".
Petro reacted strongly to the accusations, saying he was ready to "take up arms" in defence of the homeland.
(max)