History
The Estado Mayor Central (EMC) was formed as a result of the peace process between the Colombian government and FARC. In 2016, FARC’s historic First Front announced that it would not comply with the peace deal.
The First Front was comprised of 400 men and led by Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias “Iván Mordisco.” Several other influential FARC leaders, including Miguel Botache Santillana, alias “Gentil Duarte.”
In total, nine FARC fronts, a mobile column, and seven urban militias followed suit in defying the peace deal and joining the EMC.
The EMC was able to establish itself as one of the most influential post-peace deal FARC dissident factions. Due to the involvement of the 10th and 33rd Front, which have historically held territories in Venezuela, the EMC was able to quickly establish a presence across the border.
More recently, the EMC’s presence in Venezuela has been challenged by the other major FARC dissident faction, Segunda Marquetalia, led by FARC second-in-command Luciano Marin Arango, alias “Ivan Marquez.” Conflicts between the two groups would lead to the death of Gentil Duarte.
Since 2022, the EMC has been participating in peace negotiations with the Petro government as part of the Paz Total program. Negotiations have created tensions within the group’s leadership and may create problems for Ivan Mordisco.
President Petro suspended a ceasefire agreement that was in place in Cauca, Valle del Cauca, and Nariño after the killing of an indigenous leader in Cauca.
Geography
As the EMC is a confederation of different FARC dissident fronts, it has a wide presence based on the territories of the fronts that compose it. The EMC’s core territory is he departments of Guaviare, Meta, Caquetá, Vaupés and Guainía.
However, the group also has a meaningful presence in Venezuela thanks to the participation of the 33rd and 10th Fronts, which allow the group a foothold in Apure and Zulia. At present, conflict with Segunda Marquetalia makes the EMC’s level of territorial control within Venezuela unclear.
The EMC has also been able to expand into Amazonas, Putumayo, Casanare, Arauca, and Norte de Santander. This means the EMC has a presence on the borders with Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and Venezuela, as well as on the pacific coast.
Relationships
The EMC has two main rivalries, first with the Segunda Marquetalia and second with the Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN. Conflict between the ELN and the EMC is particularly fierce in Venezuela and along the Venezuelan border.
The two groups are believed to have some non-aggression agreements in certain areas, but there are clear territorial tensions between them.
Additionally, the EMC and the Segunda Marquetalia are in direct competition with both claiming to be the successors to the pre-peace deal FARC. In some cases, shared objectives and ideology have made collaboration possible.
However, the two confederations are fighting for the loyalty of different fronts and those fronts are themselves somewhat independent and have localised rivalries over territories.
For example, in Putumayo and Caqueta, the EMC-aligned Carolina Ramirez Front has a territorial dispute with the Segunda Marquetalia-aligned Comandos de la Frontera.
Leadership/Structure
The leader of the EMC is Nestor Gregorio Vera Fernandez, alias “Ivan Mordisco.” He commanded the FARC First Front before the 2016 demobilization, which was also the first to defect from the peace process.
Another leader important to the origins of the EMC was Gentil Duarte. Gentil Duarte was an influential political leader in the former FARC and had originally been sent as an emissary to try to and bring Mordisco back to the peace process before he himself defected. He was killed in a territorial dispute.
In total, the EMC has four blocks that contain a total of 24 fronts, each of which will have their own leaders.
At the moment, Mordisco’s key lieutenants are Alexander Diaz Mendoza, alias “Calarca,” commander of the 40th Front; Javier Alonso Velosa, alias “Jhon Mechas,” commander of the 33rd Front; Omar Pardo Galeano, alias “Antonio Medina,” leader of the 28th Front and the 10th Front; Ivan Jacobo Arredondo, alias “Marlon Vazquez,” commander of the Western Bloc; and Jacobo Arenas, who controls many structures (possibly 10) in western Colombia.
Ivan Jacobo Arredondo, alias “Marlon Vazquez,” commander of the Western Bloc Commander Jacobo Arenas, who reportedly leads 10 structures in western Colombia; Javier Alonso Velosa, alias “Jhon Mechas,” commander of the 33rd Front, present in Norte de Santander; and Omar Pardo Galeano, alias “Antonio Medina,” leader of the 28th Front and the 10th Front.
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