Drones used by armed groups in Colombia spread fear across countryside
Armed groups in Colombia's Cauca and Norte de Santander regions have begun targeting civilians and security forces with drones. Al Jazeera's field report shows more than 1,300 attacks recorded in the past six months. The government has announced new countermeasure funding.
Residents in Colombia's southwestern Cauca region say they now identify a new source of fear in the sky in recent months: unregistered, armed drones. According to Al Jazeera's field report, 1,347 drone attacks were documented in northern Cauca and the Catatumbo basin of Norte de Santander since November 2025; 422 of these struck residential areas. Local resident María Cardona told the reporter 'I always hear them before I see them and before they hit'.
According to Colombian Defence Ministry data, most attacks are attributed to actors linked to the FARC's 33rd Front and the ELN. Defence Minister Iván Velásquez said a $250 million counter-drone technology package was submitted to Congress in March 2026, including radio-frequency jammers and mobile radar units.
Erika Guevara, head of Amnesty International's Bogotá office, said the attacks 'strike civilians without distinction' and should be investigated under international humanitarian law. The government acknowledges that 'Total Peace' dialogue has been damaged, and the Petro administration is preparing to roll out emergency protection protocols with regional municipalities.
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