Colombia's Army announces 20 minors desert FARC faction

Colombian soldiers stand in front of war material seized from a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) during a press conference where, according to the Colombian army, 104 guerrillas, including 20 minors, deserted, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 25, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Eduardo Ramirez

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's Army announced on Saturday that 104 fighters from a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), including 20 minors, have deserted from the illegal armed group amid an offensive by the rival National Liberation Army (ELN) in the northeast of the South American country.

The ELN's offensive against the FARC faction, which is engaged in peace negotiations with the government, began more than a week ago in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander department, near the border with Venezuela.