Colombia: Armed groups double during Gustavo Petro's administration
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal in an article published after seven Colombian soldiers were killed by drones while resting, which once again put the spotlight on Colombian militias.
Gustavo Petro in San Andres
Colombia recently suffered a crude episode of violence against the forces of law and order: seven soldiers were killed while resting as a result of a drone attack. In this context, The Wall Street Journal published an article explaining the nature of these attacks, underlining that "Colombia's armed groups have doubled" during the government of Gustavo Petro.
Juan Fornero, author of the article in the WSJ, explained that the militias responsible for these attacks are increasing in "frequency and security." "Since April 2024, when the strikes began, the military says there have been some 400 drone attacks, killing 24 soldiers and police officers and wounding 260," he added.
Precisely, these are the militias that President Donald Trump considers "narcoterrorists." He even defined the Colombian leader, Gustavo Petro, as an "illegal drug leader."
">Colombia’s armed groups have roughly doubled in size to 25,000 members over the past three years, a period during which President Petro called military cease-fires that allowed the militias to recruit fighters. And they’re also adept at drone warfare. https://t.co/39XOmAlwh9
— Juan Forero (@WSJForero) December 30, 2025
"President Gustavo Petro, of Colombia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia. It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America," Trump posted last October 19 on Truth Social.
Back to the Journal article, Fornero emphasized the increase in armed groups under Petro's presidency, whose term ends in August 2027.
"Colombia’s armed groups have roughly doubled in size to 25,000 members over the past three years, a period during which President Petro called military ceasefires that allowed the militias to recruit fighters. And they’re also adept at drone warfare," he added.
César Jaramillo, a drone engineer with the state-owned Colombian Aeronautical Industry, told the aforementioned media outlet that it is very simple for armed groups to obtain and use drones: "It is very cheap for an armed group to use this technology. The technology is available and it is very easy to implement."
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