Dozens of Colombian soldiers kidnapped in rebel-controlled cocaine region

Colombia’s military has confirmed that 57 soldiers were kidnapped over the weekend in the volatile Micay Canyon region in the country’s southwest, an area heavily influenced by armed groups and central to cocaine production and trafficking.

According to military officials, 31 soldiers were initially seized on Saturday, followed by 26 more on Sunday, bringing the total number of captives to 57.

The troops were reportedly surrounded and detained by a group of more than 200 civilians acting under pressure from dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which rejected the 2016 peace agreement with the government.

Brigadier General Federico Alberto Mejía addressed the public in a video statement posted to social media, declaring, “This is called kidnapping.”

He confirmed that among those taken were four non-commissioned officers and 53 enlisted soldiers.

Local media outlets have reported that the EMC, the Estado Mayor Central, the largest breakaway group from the former FARC guerrilla movement, is suspected of orchestrating the abductions. The EMC has not issued any comment as of press time.

The Micay Canyon is a strategic corridor for transporting cocaine from processing zones to Colombia’s Pacific coast, where it is smuggled by sea to international markets.

The mountainous terrain and limited state presence have made the region a hotbed for illicit activity and violent conflict between rebel groups and the Colombian military.

This latest incident showcases the fragile security situation in rural Colombia, despite ongoing efforts by President Gustavo Petro’s administration to negotiate with remaining armed groups and integrate former rebels into civilian life.