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Colombian rebel groups long ago set up shop in Venezuela, seeking sanctuary beyond the reach of the US-backed Colombian military. The Chavista regime welcomed them as allies against an “imperialist” common foe. But now some of these groups have become unwelcome, and extremely dangerous, guests.

We begin this four-part series with the emergence of the 10th Front, a dissident faction of the now-demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) that came under fire from Venezuela’s armed forces after upending the region’s delicate pax mafiosa. We then reveal how this proxy war has exposed the weakness of Venezuela’s military and its inability to tackle non-state armed actors skilled in asymmetrical warfare. The series wraps up with a look at the repercussions of this battle, and its repercussion on political and criminal dynamics in the country. 

NewsAnalysis