Borges: “More than 9 irregular groups are fighting for control of Venezuelan territory, the ELN and the former FARC are the most consolidated”

The Presidential Commissioner for Foreign Relations of Venezuela, Julio Borges, asserted that the ELN and the FARC dissidents dispute the control of the poorest towns in Venezuela, but clarified that they are not the only ones since some organizations have already documented the existence of more than 9 irregular groups in Venezuelan territory. He affirmed that in most of the municipalities of Venezuela there is a presence of mega-gangs, guerrillas and criminal groups that are dedicated to controlling the population, as well as developing illegal activities for their livelihood.

“The ELN and the FARC dissidents are the most consolidated of the narco-terrorist organizations in Venezuela, they are fighting for control of the poorest towns of Venezuela, as well as the resources coming from illegal mining. But they are not the only actors, there are organizations like Fundaredes that already estimate that there are more than 9 irregular groups throughout the national territory, to which must be added the presence of mega-gangs, armed by the dictatorship, as well as drug trafficking cartels. This is about disintegration of the Venezuelan territory, a true Failed State led by Nicolás Maduro that is a absolute threat to the region and that our Armed Forces cannot allow under any circumstances, since not only is national sovereignty being circumvented, but also the Republic,” he emphasized.

Borges called on the international community not to underestimate the scope and strength of what is happening within Venezuela. “It is a situation that threatens to undermine the peace and security of the hemisphere, we cannot think that this is tolerable. Maduro has handed over the territory to these groups, who plan drug trafficking activities, mineral smuggling, extortion, kidnapping and terrorism,” he said.

Borges also reported that what happened in La Vega also reflects this phenomenon. “The dictatorship armed mega gangs throughout the country in order to control and terrorize the population, and now these criminal groups have gotten out of control. What happened in La Vega is a sample of this, the tragic thing is that many innocent people die in these operations, executed by the death squads of the regime,” he concluded.

El ELN y los disidentes de la FARC se están disputando el control de los pueblos más pobres de Venezuela y usando recursos provenientes de la minería ilegal. La organización Fundaredes estima que existen más de 9 grupos irregulares en todo el territorio nacional.

— Julio Borges (@JulioBorges) January 13, 2021