National Liberation Army Faces Venezuelan Military
Venezuela’s military reportedly bombed an ELN camp, killing at least 19 guerrillas
Venezuela has broken decades of complicity with the National Liberation Army. On Friday, October 30, the Venezuelan military conducted an airstrike on an ELN camp in the Apure state, a region that borders Colombia. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 19 guerrillas, a figure confirmed by the NGO Fundaredes and a military source with knowledge of the operation. This action marks a historic shift in Chavismo’s relations with the armed group, which had operated with impunity in Venezuelan territory for over two decades.
The ELN is a Colombian far-left guerrilla organization involved in the continuing Colombian conflict since 1964. It has been classified as a terrorist organization by the governments of Colombia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the European Union. The group’s size has grown significantly; in 2026, it was estimated to have approximately 5,000 fighters in Colombia and neighboring Venezuela. The ELN is considered the most powerful active guerrilla organization in the region since the FARC disarmed in 2016.
Venezuela and Colombia share a border exceeding 2,000 kilometers, a porous frontier where various rebel groups operate. For many years, the Venezuelan government allowed vast regions to function as a sanctuary, logistical rear guard, and drug trafficking corridor for Colombian guerrillas. In 2022, for instance, the ELN participated alongside Venezuelan forces in operations against FARC dissidents in Apure, which allowed them to expand their territorial control. The alleged bombing occurs amid a rapid rapprochement between Caracas and Washington since the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. Under the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela has reestablished diplomatic ties and aligned its security policy with U.S. objectives.
The attack was reportedly supported by U.S. intelligence. A Venezuelan military source close to the operation told AFP that the strike had been orchestrated with help from the CIA and the FBI, describing it as an order from the United States. The ELN has long operated with relative impunity along the border, but the recent action suggests that the group’s sanctuary status has been dismantled.
The Venezuelan military’s action against the ELN marks a shift in Chavismo’s relations with the armed group. The operation targeted a camp in the Buena Vista sector of Meta, Pedro Camejo municipality, in the state of Apure. Fundaredes director Javier Tarazona described the incident as the “first bombing of Venezuela against the ELN.” Human rights advocate Rocío San Miguel confirmed receiving reports from local residents about the attack and its victims, noting that there is a lot of fear in the area due to the pressures exerted by the guerrilla on the local population.
The attack reflects a “change in doctrine” within the Venezuelan military. Human rights advocate and military affairs expert Rocío San Miguel stated that the Friday attack reflects a change in doctrine within the Venezuelan military. The military source told AFP that Venezuelan forces were “going to continue combing through the area because we believe there are more camps.” The operation also comes as Colombia’s newly elected hard-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, ramps up a violent crackdown on the ELN and drug trafficking groups in his country.
Several armed groups engage in drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling along the Venezuela and Colombia border, including dissident members of the now-defunct FARC and the ELN. The border region remains a contested space for control of cocaine trafficking and illegal mining operations. With U.S. support, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella is conducting military operations against armed groups financed by drug trafficking. The military operation along the border may represent the latest shift in Venezuelan policy since the U.S. ouster of Nicolás Maduro in January.
The group’s resilience and expansion into Venezuelan territory have made it the primary armed actor in the region following the FARC’s disarmament. The recent bombing represents a significant blow to the group’s operational capacity and a watershed moment in the security dynamics of the Colombia-Venezuela border.
At least 19 people were killed in the Venezuelan army’s recent attack on a Colombian guerrilla group’s camp inside Venezuela, an NGO and source close to the operation said.
Sources
- Venezuela breaks decades of complicity with the ELN and reportedly bombed one of its camps
- National Liberation Army (Colombia)
- TRT World – Venezuelan army attack on Colombian rebel camp leaves at least nine dead: NGO
- Several dead in Venezuelan army attack on Colombian rebel camp – World News
- Venezuela bombs guerrilla camp near Colombian border
- At least 19 dead in Venezuela army attack on Colombian rebel camp
Photo: Wilfredor (CC BY-SA 4.0)
