FARC Dissident Leader Santrich Killed In Venezuela-Reports

Reports emerged last night that Jesus Santrich (real name Seuxis Hernandez Solarte), head of a FARC dissident group - Segunda Marquetalia - had been killed in an attack by Colombian commandos in Venezuela.

• Santrich was a prominent member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which fought a violent guerilla war against the Colombian gov't over decades in a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands. He was seen as a pivotal figure in the 2016 peace deal that saw FARC lay down its arms and dissolve, with Santrich given a seat in the National Congress as a supposed signal of the gov'ts intentions to allow FARC leaders to assimilate into Colombian politics.
• However, after taking his seat in Congress in 2019, Santrich went missing and in August of the same year released a video alongside another former FARC leader Ivan Marquez decrying the deal, alleging breaches by the gov't of President Ivan Duque, and calling for a return to arms. At this time he was also at risk of extradition to the US on drug-running charges.
• Since then Santrich's group is believed to have been involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining both in Colombia but also across the border in Venezuela, leading to frequent clashes between Bogota and Caracas over accusations of the other nation harbouring dissident groups.
• Santrich's death will come as a blow to the Segunda Marquetalia given his prominence in FARC history.