Calarcá Dissidents Kill Four Colombian Soldiers in Guaviare Ahead of Elections

On May 13, 2026, four Colombian soldiers were killed and three others wounded in San José del Guaviare after triggering an improvised explosive minefield. The attack was carried out by the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc, a FARC dissident faction commanded by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as Calarcá. This incident occurred just 18 days before Colombia’s first-round presidential election, intensifying security concerns amid President Gustavo Petro’s suspended peace negotiations with the group. The victims were identified as Francisco Javier Bello Arteaga, Anderson Gasca Álvarez, Emerson Danilo Carantón Buitrago, and Deibinson de Jesús Hurtado Tuberquia. This assault follows a pattern of escalating violence, including recent drone attacks and killings in Antioquia and Ipiales. Although Calarcá had joined the Paz Total peace process in October 2023, talks were frozen in late April 2026 due to repeated violations. The attack has fueled opposition narratives regarding security collapse, while prosecutors have demanded urgent measures to protect civilians. The event highlights the fragility of the peace framework and the growing strength of dissident factions during the negotiation period.