The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, reported this Wednesday the death of Ricardo Trigos Peñaranda, alias 'Resorte', one of the leaders of the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN). As he explained, the insurgent leader died during an operation by the security forces carried out in the municipality of Chinácota, in the department of Norte de Santander.
To accompany his announcement on social media, De la Espriella disseminated a photograph in which four members of the security forces are posing next to a bag in which, supposedly, the lifeless body of this "dangerous criminal," identified as the financial chief of the urban war front Reynaldo Ardila Gómez of the ELN, would be found.
"He was responsible for coordinating extortions, kidnappings, homicides, and activities related to drug trafficking in Cúcuta and its metropolitan area. He had a criminal record for extortion kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime, arms trafficking, and homicide," the Colombian president has listed.
De la Espriella emphasized that with this "hard blow," "criminal finances and the logistical capacity of the ELN" are "directly affected," one of the oldest guerrillas in the country, with a presence in about 170 municipalities spread across nearly twenty departments.
"Let it be clear to all narcoterrorist groups: in Colombia, there will not be a single corner where they can feel safe to commit crimes. We will pursue them with all the legitimate force and the strength of the State until we dismantle their criminal structures," the president has warned.