Colombia: Placing a Militant Attack in Context

The Colombian government's ongoing peace negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, more commonly known as the FARC, could falter if the militant group keeps conducting attacks against Bogota's interests. On July 20, the FARC killed as many as 17 Colombian soldiers when it ambushed a patrol in Fortul, Arauca department, a FARC stronghold in the Colombian periphery near the border with Venezuela. In these areas, the FARC can operate relatively freely, and so occasional attacks against military personnel are somewhat inevitable — President Juan Manuel Santos' pledged offensive against the rebels notwithstanding. Therefore, the ambush is notable not for its severity but for its timing. The attacks threaten Colombian energy infrastructure, much of which is located in the same remote areas where militants reside, and thus could sway public support for the peace negotiations.