Story perspectives

President Announces Arcadio’s Death in Valle del Cauca

9/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Abelardo de la Espriella announced dissident leader Felipe, known as Arcadio, was killed in Valle del Cauca.
Operation Amon air-strike on August 27 in Guaviare killed ten rebels, including three minors 15, 15 and 16.
The government offered up to 400 million pesos (?US$125,000) for tips to capture Juan Antonio Agudelo Salazar, alias Perdomo.
Human Rights Watch reported that armed groups in Colombia have recruited at least 1,500 children since 2021.

History

Historical Context

Starting in 2003 President Álvaro Uribe’s government negotiated the demobilization of the United Self-Defense Forces, disarming roughly 30,000 paramilitaries and passing the 2005 Justice and Peace Law. Yet successor BACRIM groups persisted, and since 2021 at least 1,500 children have been recruited. Today President Espriella’s 400-million-peso bounty on Juan Antonio Agudelo and Operation Amon’s Guaviare raid reflect the state’s renewed offensive against these remnants.

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Story summary

President Abelardo de la Espriella announced dissident leader Felipe, known as Arcadio, was killed in Valle del Cauca.
Operation Amon air-strike on August 27 in Guaviare killed ten rebels, including three minors 15, 15 and 16.
The government offered up to 400 million pesos (?US$125,000) for tips to capture Juan Antonio Agudelo Salazar, alias Perdomo.
Human Rights Watch reported that armed groups in Colombia have recruited at least 1,500 children since 2021.

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