Venezuelan army bombs ELN camp, killing 19
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L’essentiel
At least 19 people were killed on 30 October in a Venezuelan army bombing of an ELN camp in Apure State, near the Colombian border. Local sources and a Venezuelan military source said the operation may have received US support, according to L’essentiel.
The Venezuelan army bombed an ELN camp in Apure State on 30 October, killing at least 19 people, according to sources close to the operation cited by L’essentiel. The attack took place in the Buena Vista del Meta area, near the Colombian border.
The NGO Fundaredes and residents of Apure counted 19 bodies transported to San Fernando, the state capital. A Venezuelan military source said drones and helicopters had taken part in the operation and that CIA and FBI agents had provided assistance, on orders from the United States.
The ELN, or National Liberation Army, is a Colombian guerrilla group active for more than six decades. It and other armed groups operate along the 2,219-kilometre border between Colombia and Venezuela, where factions are fighting in particular over revenues from drug trafficking and illegal mining.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, in power since August 2026, has launched a military offensive against armed groups with United States support. The strike came after an attack on the Clan del Golfo that killed six people in Colombia on 29 October, reported in a previous strike against the Clan del Golfo.
