Colombia is investigating the alleged death of alias Ivan Mordisco, the top leader of the guerrilla group Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the primary dissident faction of the former FARC.
After days of announcing that the military was hot on the heels of this high-profile guerrilla commander and successfully neutralizing several members of his security circle, news of Mordisco’s alleged death spread rapidly across the country this morning.
This guerrilla leader heads the largest armed group to emerge as a breakaway faction from the defunct FARC in 2016, following their rejection of the Havana Peace Accords. Mordisco rose to the top of this insurgency after the death of alias Gentil Duarte in May 2022.
Colombia investigates alleged death of guerrilla leader Ivan Mordisco
Nestor Gregorio Vera Fernandez, alias Ivan Mordisco, was reportedly killed in southern Colombia during a military operation, according to a report published Monday, April 14, by the local weekly Semana.
According to the cited source, the head of the EMC—the largest FARC dissident group—died in the Caquetá department. The incident allegedly occurred on Friday, April 11, during an operation by Colombia’s Armed Forces.
Semana claims that army members recovered Ivan Mordisco’s glasses and computer and are now working to confirm whether the feared guerrilla leader was among the insurgents killed.
Officials from the Defense Ministry are expected to hold a press conference to detail the military operation and either confirm or deny Mordisco’s death. The Colombian government had offered a reward of COP 4,4 billion (approximately US$1 million) for his capture.
The rise of a guerrilla leader defying the Colombian state
If Ivan Mordisco’s death is confirmed, it would mark the Colombian Armed Forces’ most significant success in years. Mordisco is one of Colombia’s foremost guerrilla leaders.
His trajectory within the former FARC began in the 1990s in the Guaviare region, where he joined as a low-ranking combatant. Over time, he climbed the ranks, becoming a key commander of the Primero Front, one of the most active units in eastern Colombia.
Mordisco was among the first leaders to reject the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC-EP. Under his leadership, the Primero Front evolved into an armed dissident group, self-styled as the EMC, a structure uniting multiple fronts that abandoned the peace process and continued armed activities, drug trafficking, and territorial control.
During Iván Duque’s administration in 2022, the Defense Minister announced Mordisco’s alleged death in a military operation. However, months later, Ivan Mordisco reappeared in a video, disproving the claim and exposing flaws in state intelligence.
This false death damaged the government’s credibility and bolstered Mordisco’s stature within the dissident factions.
Following Gustavo Petro’s election as president, attempts were made to restart peace talks with the EMC. However, in 2024, after repeated armed attacks, the government terminated the bilateral ceasefire with Mordisco’s dissidents, marking another setback in Petro’s promised pursuit of “Total Peace.”
Related: Colombia Denies Death of Guerrilla Leader Ivan Mordisco.