Colombian Army Colonel Charged Over Payments from ELN and Dissidents

Colombian Army Colonel Carlos Didier Pérez Amorocho has been charged by prosecutors with receiving payments from the ELN guerrilla group and FARC dissidents in exchange for leaking confidential military information and favoring their operations. The charges follow his arrest on August 20, 2026, in Bogotá Source: El Colombiano. The alleged misconduct spans two periods: 2020 in Arauca and 2026 in Nariño Source: La Silla Vacía.

The allegations

Prosecutors allege that in 2020, while commanding a battalion in Arauquita, Arauca, Pérez Amorocho received 15 million pesos (about $3,900) to reduce military operations against the ELN's Eastern War Front Source: Infobae. Later, between January and June 2026, while leading an elite unit in Nariño, he allegedly agreed to receive 30 million pesos weekly (about $7,800) from the Alfonso Cano Bloc of the Segunda Marquetalia dissidents to alert them about troop movements, facilitating drug and weapons trafficking Source: El Colombiano.

The April operation

In April 2026, Pérez Amorocho allegedly delayed troop advances during an offensive in Nariño, allowing armed group leaders to escape by speedboat. When troops arrived, drug caches were empty, and he reportedly ordered his men to throw seized drugs into the river for later recovery Source: La República.

Charges and response

He faces charges of aggravated criminal conspiracy, bribery, and illegal weapons trafficking Source: Infobae. Pérez Amorocho did not accept the charges Source: La Silla Vacía. The case highlights concerns about corruption within the military and its impact on counterinsurgency operations.