Bogotá, Colombia — Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla commented on what it described as the “imperialist” U.S. intervention in Venezuela under President Donald Trump.
In the attack carried out by the U.S. on Caracas in the early hours of January 3, 2026, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by American forces and taken to New York to face criminal charges.
Maduro was accused by U.S. prosecutors of multiple crimes. The indictment filed by a District Court alleged links between Maduro and the ELN, as well as ties to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissident groups.
Read more: From Miraflores to Brooklyn: Maduro pleads not guilty and Chavismo activates its succession plan
Through a statement titled ‘Solidarity with Venezuela,’ the ELN condemned the events, stating that they “violate the country’s sovereignty and threaten the lives of its population.”
The group also endorsed the call by Venezuelan authorities to “resist military intervention and continue defending the legacy of Hugo Chávez,” while expressing their unity in confronting “imperial plans against Venezuela and the peoples of the Global South.”
This is not the first time the ELN has taken such measures. As recent as December, 2025, the guerrilla group also announced a 72-hour armed strike, through which it sought to oppose American “imperialism” and its threats to Latin America.
Read more: ELN armed strike in Colombia ends with at least 3 dead, 13 departments affected
The ELN, described by think tank InSight Crime as the last remaining insurgency and the main armed actor along the Colombia–Venezuela border, has expanded its presence in Venezuela since the 1980s, as the country is used as a refuge from Colombian authorities.
By 2024, it was confirmed that the guerrilla group had a presence in at least 40 municipalities across eight of Venezuela’s 24 states. According to a report by the Pares Foundation released in early 2025, the ELN has consolidated its presence in 231 municipalities in Colombia.
Featured image via Verdad Abierta
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