Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former FARC rebel group issued defiant statements following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, framing the attack as a violation of regional sovereignty and vowing armed resistance against Washington.
In a statement released by its Eastern War Front, the ELN said that "once again U.S. imperialism violates the national sovereignty of the countries of Our America and the world," and rejected what it described as a U.S. attack on the "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."
The group expressed "solidarity and support for the Venezuelan people and government" and called on Latin American nations to "reject the gringo aggression, defend national sovereignty, and embrace unity and popular resistance," as Infobae reports.
Separately, dissident members of the defunct FARC rebel army said in a message posted on X that they were prepared to spend their "last drop of blood fighting the U.S. empire," echoing the ELN's call for resistance, as France24 reports.
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The statements followed Saturday's U.S. operation that captured Maduro and transferred him to New York to face drug and weapons charges. The move has raised concerns in Colombia that U.S. military action could extend beyond Venezuela. President Donald Trump warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro to "watch his ass," accusing Colombia of producing cocaine destined for the United States.
Petro responded by calling the attack on Venezuela an "assault on the sovereignty" of Latin America and ordered troop reinforcements along the Venezuelan border, while Colombian authorities issued alerts over potential attacks by armed groups.
An investigation published by InSight Crime in early December detailed the ELN's longstanding presence in Venezuela and its ties to the Maduro government. According to the report, three of the ELN's five main fighting divisions operate from Venezuelan territory, using it for logistics, training and cross-border movement.
Colombian intelligence officials cited by InSight Crime say ELN fighters have repeatedly crossed through Venezuela to launch offensives in Colombia, including a major campaign in the Catatumbo region that left more than 100 people dead earlier this year.
InSight Crime describes the relationship between the ELN and the Maduro government as strategic and mutually beneficial, rooted in ideological alignment, access to illicit economies such as cocaine trafficking, and the group's role as a deterrent against foreign military intervention.
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