Venezuela Strikes ELN Camp Near Colombian Border, at Least 19 Reported Dead

The Venezuela ELN camp strike in Apure state reportedly killed at least 19 people, after Venezuelan forces bombed a camp belonging to Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) near the Colombian border on Friday, 30 October. The reports come from the Venezuelan human rights organisation FundaRedes and a military source cited by AFP, and Venezuelan authorities had not confirmed the attack or the death toll at the time of reporting.

FAKTA

• The reported strike hit a camp at Buena Vista del Meta, in Pedro Camejo municipality in Apure state, near the Colombian border, early on Friday, 30 October.
• At least 19 people were reported dead; one outlet, Infobae, put the toll at at least 20. No official death toll has been confirmed.
• FundaRedes first reported nine bodies counted at the site; its Apure coordinator later told AFP that 10 more bodies had been taken to the state capital, San Fernando.
• FundaRedes describes the bombing as the first of its kind carried out by Venezuela against the ELN.
• An anonymous military source alleged the United States ordered the operation and that US agencies assisted; that claim has not been independently confirmed, and neither government had responded to it at the time of reporting.

What the Venezuela ELN Camp Strike Reports Say

According to FundaRedes, the operation struck a wooded camp at Buena Vista del Meta, in the Pedro Camejo municipality of Apure state, close to the border with Colombia. The organisation shared footage showing bodies on the ground, fallen trees and the ruins of what appeared to be a camp. A FundaRedes staff member counted nine bodies at the site on Friday, its director Javier Tarazona said.

The toll rose over the weekend. FundaRedes coordinator in Apure, Juan Francisco García, told AFP on Sunday, 1 November, that authorities had transported another 10 bodies to San Fernando, the state capital, the day after the operation. Colombian radio station Blu Radio and the Colombian daily El Tiempo both reported at least 19 dead, while Infobae reported at least 20. The number of wounded is not known, and an undetermined number of wounded people were reported to have crossed into Colombian territory.

A military source cited by AFP said Venezuelan forces used drones and attack helicopters in the strike, and that most of those killed were Venezuelan nationals. Infobae, citing its own sources, said the operation had been running since Thursday, 29 October, and that the drone attack targeted an ELN drug storage site close to the border. FundaRedes said army helicopters were also seen flying over the area on Saturday, 31 October, and García said operations to expel irregular groups from the territory had been under way since 28 October.

The Unconfirmed Claim About US Involvement

The most contested part of the reporting is an allegation by an anonymous military source, cited by AFP, that the operation was ordered by the United States and assisted by the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That allegation has not been independently confirmed. At the time of reporting, neither the US State Department nor the Venezuelan government had responded to requests for comment on the claim, and Venezuela’s interim government and defence ministry had issued no statement confirming the bombing itself.

Human rights advocate and military affairs specialist Rocío San Miguel described the reported strike as a potential change in doctrine for the Venezuelan military, given the ELN’s long presence on Venezuelan territory. FundaRedes has called on Venezuelan authorities to explain what happened and to protect people living in the area, where residents fear further operations against other camps believed to remain nearby.

Why the Reports Matter

If confirmed, the strike would mark a sharp break in Venezuela’s posture towards the ELN, a Colombian guerrilla group that has operated across the border region for years. Until now, FundaRedes says, Venezuela had never bombed an ELN camp. The reports have raised fears on the ground and the risk of further cross-border tension, with recovery efforts and border sweeps reported to be continuing in Apure.

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