Colombian authorities are closing in ever closer on the leader of the FARC “Estado Mayor Central” dissidents, Nestor Gregorio Vera Fernandez, alias “Ivan Mordisco.” Two of his brothers have already been captured, and in the past few hours his partner, alias “Lorena,” was killed in a firefight that took place in the dense jungle of Vaupes, the vast eastern department of the country where the feared criminal moves like a fish in water.
Alongside alias “Lorena,” five of her fellow fighters also died. Initially, it was believed that “Ivan Mordisco” himself might be among them; a reward of 4,450 million pesos (US$122,000) is placed on him. However, as time passed, that was ruled out. Authorities are now very cautious with such information, as he has previously been declared dead, only to reappear later, making the authorities look foolish.
Military Forces confirm death of alias “Lorena”
The commander of the Military Forces, General Hugo Alejandro Lopez Barreto, reported that the operation in which alias “Lorena” died occurred on Thursday, March 27, and that offensive operations launched by the Army continued that same night in the southeast of the country. “Our Military Forces, in a joint and coordinated manner between the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police, are carrying out an interdiction operation — air-to-ground attacks, direct assaults, and combat — against members of the Amazonas Bloc,” of the dissidents led by “Ivan Mordisco,” he wrote on his X account.
“This operation leaves, so far, six dead during the military operations,” General Lopez Barreto specified. “Additionally, war material, supplies, communications equipment, and explosives were seized, significantly affecting the logistical and criminal capacities of this illegal structure.” The senior officer added that once the operation is completed and results consolidated, authorities will inform the public about the most relevant facts of the attacks.
A few weeks ago, alias “Lorena” had been involved in internal tensions within “Ivan Mordisco’s” circle. Intelligence reports indicated that she had been caught in personal disputes related to control and proximity to the leader of the FARC “Estado Mayor Central” dissident group, a situation reportedly causing fractures within the criminal organization’s structure.
Other blows against “Iván Mordisco”
Less than a month ago, and within 72 hours, authorities captured two of “Ivan Mordisco’s” brothers. The first was Juan Gabriel Vera Fernandez, alias “La Jota,” detained in the municipality of Falan (Tolima department). Investigators identified him as one of “Ivan Mordisco’s” most trusted men and said he played key roles within the criminal organization, including coordinating assassinations of former peace agreement signatories and handling logistics such as supplies, administration, and acquisition of high-tech equipment.
The other brother, known as “Conejo,” is also under investigation for assassinations of former peace agreement signatories and for managing assets obtained with illicit funds from extortion, drug trafficking, and illegal mining. The Minister of Defense, Pedro Sanchez, said that this operation was made possible thanks to information provided by informants, who, in exchange for the large rewards offered by the authorities, decided to reveal key intelligence.
“Ivan Mordisco” gained notoriety when he commanded the FARC First Front “Armando Rios.” He led this powerful structure alongside Miguel Botache Santillana, alias “Gentil Duarte,” between 2012 and 2016, that is, from the start of the peace talks between the guerrilla and the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the signing of the Peace Agreement. However, “Iván Mordisco” and “Gentil Duarte” were the first guerrilla leaders to distance themselves from the peace negotiations. That is why the authorities continued pursuing them, although “Gentil Duarte” was later killed in Venezuela.