The municipality of Buenos Aires in northern Cauca endured ten hours of attacks by FARC dissidents last Tuesday, causing widespread destruction to key infrastructure and shock among residents. Mayor Pablo César Peña is seeking funds in Bogotá for reconstruction, estimating a cost of 20 billion pesos. Nine police officers were injured, but there were no fatalities.
Last Tuesday, FARC dissidents under the command of alias 'Iván Mordisco' launched an armed incursion lasting about ten hours against the urban center of Buenos Aires, Cauca. The assault reduced the mayor's office, police station, justice house, Agrarian Bank, and at least ten homes to ruins, rendering them uninhabitable. The local hospital also sustained damage to its structure and medical equipment, restricting services to basic emergencies.
Security forces' response was delayed: according to Mayor Pablo César Peña, Army and Police reinforcements arrived five and a half hours after the harassment began. Officials attributed the delay to adverse weather conditions and road blockades with vehicles and explosives set by the attackers, forcing troops to proceed on foot from Suárez to Buenos Aires.
During the siege, only 17 police officers defended the municipality; nine were injured, two seriously, and were airlifted to clinics in Cali. Peña reported serious breaches of International Humanitarian Law, including the use of civilian homes as firing positions after evicting occupants and pressuring the local priest to use a megaphone to urge officers to surrender.
On Wednesday, Peña traveled to Bogotá and met with Interior Minister Armando Benedetti to request aid. He estimated reconstruction would take two years and cost 20 billion pesos, as the municipal administration lacks an operational base. 'We had never experienced anything like this. I have no budget to rebuild even the town hall building. Today we have nowhere to operate from,' the mayor stated. Meanwhile, security forces conduct operations, and the Ombudsman's Office warns of risks to the population, which is attempting to recover amid fear.
