Colombia: Defense Minister says Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are hiding in Venezuela
The FARC rebel front accused of killing 12 Colombian soldiers Monday is stationed in Venezuela and moves easily between the two countries, Colombia’s minister of defense said Tuesday.
The guerrilla unit probably has been using Venezuela as “its home base for quite a while,” Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said in an interview with Caracol Radio.
The FARC, Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, allegedly ambushed the army’s First Brigade while it patrolled an area in the northern department of Guajira near the Venezuelan border. Twelve uniformed soldiers died in the attack and at least four more were wounded.
“We know that this arm of the FARC moved from Venezuela in order to attack our soldiers, and returned again to Venezuela,” Army General Sergio Mantilla said Tuesday in an interview with local media.