The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, accompanied by security officials, walk amongst corpses of alleged FARC dissidents killed in a security operation in San José del Guaviare, August 30, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from video shared on official government channels.
The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, sparked a wave of criticism following the release of a video in which he is seen walking among corpses wrapped in white bags of presumed members of dissidents from the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP) killed in San José del Guaviare.
The images, shared on social media after Colombian security forces carried out Operation Azarías on August 30 against the FARC dissidents led by Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias Iván Mordisco, show De la Espriella surrounded by bodies laid out on the ground alongside weapons seized from them, an action that critics labeled as an unnecessary show and necropolitics.
Esto es de lo más bizarro que hemos visto. Caminar en medio de los muertos, mientras invocan el nombre de Dios, solo para justificar un show innecesario.
La necropolítica parece ser la nueva y más baja versión de Abelardo de la Espriella. pic.twitter.com/HaQMsT3I9N
— Daniel Monroy (@DanielMonroyH) September 2, 2026
The backlash was generated for using images that combine shots of the president moving among the bodies with aerial images of the bombing of the FARC dissident positions, a technical framing very similar to that used by US President Donald Trump in his attacks against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
The graphic video came just a week after the Colombian government adopted the aesthetic of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele by publishing images of inmates with shaved heads during prison transfers.
During the presentation of the results of Operation Azarías in Guaviare, De la Espriella celebrated the operation as “one of the most significant blows” against armed groups in 12 years and confirmed the death of 23 alleged dissidents—including alias “Tigre,” leader of the Carolina Ramírez bloc, as well as the capture of six people, the rescue of a minor, and the seizure of 28 rifles and four machine guns, and delivered a speech warning that the offensive would continue.
The visit to Guaviare, De la Espriella’s first to the Amazon region since taking office, took place in a context where his government has already conducted three bombings against armed groups, two of them in the Amazon region.
Although the mayor of San José del Guaviare, Willy Rodríguez, supported the military actions in the territory, De la Espriella preferred not to meet with the local mayors during his stay, focusing public attention on the controversial act broadcasted on official channels.
The current government’s security strategy prioritizes military power over dialogue with armed groups, and recent operations against alleged FARC dissidents in the Guaviare department was part of it.
Last week, Abelardo de la Espriella announced the definitive cancelation of negotiations with two dissident groups of the FARC-EP, namely, the General Staff of Blocks and Front (EMBF) and the National Coordination of the Bolivarian Army (CNEB), as well as with the Conquerors of Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces (ACSN).
The measure was formalized through the revocation of the appointments of government representatives and the recognition of the delegates of these three armed organizations, arguing that there is no “real or verifiable will for peace,” for reintegration into civilian life, or for submission to justice, which signifies a break with the policy of his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who promoted dialogue, addressed the victims of violence, and sought a negotiated solution for peace and national reconciliation.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/CD
