Colombian forces kill FARC dissident leader Hernando Forero in Meta
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Colombian forces killed Hernando Forero Mosquera, an alleged leader of a FARC dissident faction, in a military operation in Meta province over the weekend, President Abelardo de la Espriella said. The operation is part of a crackdown ordered by de la Espriella, who took office Friday, sending what he called 'a clear and powerful message to all bandits.' The action follows bombings in Cauca and Cesar provinces that wounded two security guards and killed a police officer.
The Raid in Meta
Military intelligence officers said Forero, known as 'El Ruso,' led Frente 28, a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The group is one of many that splintered after the 2016 peace deal and now engages in cocaine trafficking and illegal mining. De la Espriella said three other alleged members of the group were killed in the same operation in a rural area of Meta province. In a separate offensive in Antioquia province, soldiers killed two alleged members of the Gulf Clan, the president added.
Defiance and U.S. Support
On Saturday, a car bomb exploded at a tollbooth in Cauca province, wounding two security guards, and explosives dropped from a drone killed a police officer in Cesar province. De la Espriella has vowed to take a radically different approach from his predecessor Gustavo Petro, whose 'total peace' strategy of negotiations failed to curb violence. U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed de la Espriella's candidacy, and the State Department said Friday it plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance.
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