Thirty-three Colombian soldiers, who were allegedly kidnapped by villagers acting under the orders of a dissident rebel group, have been released after three tense days in captivity, according to the country's Ombudsman's office. The episode unfolded in the remote, jungle-laden province of Guaviare, a region notorious for its lawlessness, drug trafficking corridors, and the persistent presence of armed groups that rejected Colombia's 2016 peace deal.
The soldiers were taken hostage on August 25, 2025, during a military operation in the rural municipality of El Retorno. The abduction occurred following fierce clashes between government troops and guerrillas loyal to a dissident faction of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The firefight left at least 10 guerrillas dead, including a commander of the faction, as reported by France 24 and confirmed by Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Shortly before the soldiers were due to evacuate the region, local villagers, allegedly under the influence and direction of the rebel group, blocked roads and detained the troops. The villagers demanded the return of the body of a slain rebel, which had been taken to a morgue in the provincial capital. The government described the incident as a kidnapping, while emphasizing the complex dynamics at play in rural Colombia, where communities are often caught between state forces and armed groups.
Initially, the army reported that 34 soldiers had been detained, but later revised the number to 33. The soldiers' release was announced on August 28 by Ombudswoman Iris Marín via her official X (formerly Twitter) account. "At this moment, soldiers are withdrawing from the village Nueva York," Marín stated. She urged the public not to stigmatize the local community, acknowledging the fraught circumstances and the manipulation of civilians by armed factions.
The mediation process that led to the soldiers' release involved not only the Ombudsman's office but also delegations from the Colombian government and the United Nations, underscoring the gravity and complexity of the situation. According to AP and Reuters, the Defense Ministry promptly filed a complaint about the kidnapping with the public prosecutor's office, and additional troops were deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.
The region where the incident occurred, including the village of Nueva York, is a known stronghold of FARC dissidents who rejected the 2016 peace accord. It is also a strategic corridor for drug trafficking, with vast coca plantations providing the raw material for cocaine production. The area has long been contested by various armed groups, each vying for control over lucrative criminal enterprises and territory abandoned by FARC after the peace deal.
Authorities accuse the dissident group of forcibly recruiting minors and pressuring local residents to resist the presence of state forces. Such tactics are not new in Colombia's decades-long conflict, which has claimed more than 450,000 lives. Kidnappings of security personnel remain a recurring strategy for armed groups, serving both as leverage in negotiations and as a means to assert their dominance in regions where the state's presence is weak or contested.
President Gustavo Petro, who took office in 2022, has made peace a cornerstone of his administration's policy agenda. His government launched a renewed peace strategy aimed at ending hostilities with armed groups through negotiation and increased state support for rural communities. However, rights organizations and local residents have criticized the initiative, arguing that it has yielded limited results. Violence continues to plague many rural areas, and dissident factions remain entrenched in Colombia's most lucrative drug corridors.
The recent kidnapping and release of the soldiers highlight the persistent challenges facing the Petro administration. While the safe return of the troops has been welcomed by officials and the public alike, it also serves as a stark reminder of the fragile security situation in Colombia's hinterlands. "We urge people not to stigmatise the community," Ombudswoman Marín emphasized, recognizing the delicate balance between maintaining order and respecting the rights and safety of civilians who often find themselves in impossible situations.
The Defense Ministry, for its part, has maintained that locals in regions like Guaviare are frequently manipulated by armed groups, who use them as human shields or bargaining chips in their ongoing struggle against the state. Admiral Francisco Cubides, a military commander, stated that more troops had been sent to the area "to prevent any attacks in this hostile environment," reflecting the army's determination to maintain a presence despite the risks.
Just a week before the soldiers' abduction, another group under the command of notorious rebel leader Ivan Mordisco detonated a truck bomb in the southwestern city of Cali, killing six people and wounding more than 60. The incident further illustrates the reach and resilience of dissident factions, even as the central government seeks to negotiate peace and extend its authority into historically neglected regions.
El Retorno and its surrounding jungle areas have become emblematic of the broader struggle for Colombia's future. Despite the 2016 peace deal, which was hailed internationally as a historic breakthrough, large swathes of the country remain mired in violence, poverty, and the illicit drug trade. Armed groups, including FARC dissidents and other criminal organizations, continue to recruit vulnerable youth, intimidate communities, and exploit the absence of effective governance.
According to BBC and other international outlets, the abduction of security personnel—whether by direct action from armed groups or through the coercion of local villagers—has become a distressingly common occurrence. The government has responded with a mix of military force and diplomatic engagement, but progress has been slow and setbacks frequent.
Rights organizations have voiced growing skepticism about the effectiveness of President Petro's peace approach. They point to ongoing violence, persistent kidnappings, and the apparent inability of state forces to protect both civilians and their own personnel in remote areas. The situation in Guaviare, with its strategic importance for both drug traffickers and rebel groups, remains especially volatile.
As the dust settles in Nueva York village and the freed soldiers return to their units, many Colombians are left grappling with the uncomfortable reality that peace, while possible on paper, remains elusive in practice. The latest incident serves as both a warning and a call to action for the government, civil society, and the international community: the road to lasting stability in Colombia is long, fraught, and demands unwavering commitment from all sides.
