BOGOTÁ – Colombia’s military leadership says the top commanders of the National Liberation Army (ELN) are believed to be operating clandestinely from Venezuelan territory, raising renewed concerns about the guerrilla organization’s cross-border presence and its impact on regional security.
Major General Erik Rodríguez Aparicio, commander of Colombia’s Military Forces, said the ELN’s principal leadership is currently believed to be in Venezuela.
Among those identified is Eliécer Herlinto Chamorro Acosta, better known as Antonio García, the ELN’s top commander. Colombian authorities also point to Israel Ramírez Pineda, alias Pablo Beltrán, a member of the organization’s Central Command, and Luz Amanda Pallares, known as Silvana Guerrero or Ana María, commander of the ELN’s Northeastern War Front.
According to Colombian National Police Director Major General Alejandro Barrera, senior ELN figures are no longer necessarily hiding in traditional guerrilla camps. Authorities believe some are instead staying in houses and rural properties near urban areas, a strategy intended to make their detection and location more difficult.
Colombian security officials increasingly characterize the ELN as a transnational terrorist organization whose activities extend beyond Colombia and pose security risks to Venezuela and the wider region.
The claims again place attention on Venezuela and the extent to which ELN commanders may be able to use its territory as a refuge from Colombian security forces.
The presence of Colombian armed groups in Venezuela has long been a sensitive issue in relations between Bogotá and Caracas. The latest statements from Colombia’s military leadership are likely to increase pressure for greater cross-border cooperation aimed at locating senior ELN figures and restricting the organization’s ability to operate between the two countries.
The allegations presented by Colombian officials do not by themselves establish that Venezuelan authorities are knowingly protecting the ELN leaders. However, the Colombian assessment raises renewed questions over what measures Caracas is taking to prevent Venezuelan territory from being used as a safe haven by senior members of the armed group.