---
title: "Colombia's President Declared Total War on Gangs. How's That Going?"
description: "Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella has launched Operation Esparta against armed groups in Catatumbo, deploying troops whilst personally joining urban police raids. Despite arrests and airstrikes, insurgents retaliate with explosive drones. Venezuela's unexpected cooperation against the ELN offers hope, but decades of failed strategies raise questions about lasting peace."
url: https://fronts.co/videos/colombias-president-declared-total-war-on-gangs-hows-that-going.md
canonical: https://fronts.co/videos/colombias-president-declared-total-war-on-gangs-hows-that-going/
datePublished: 2026-11-12T20:30:00.000Z
dateModified: 2026-11-12T20:30:00.000Z
author:
  - name: Fronts Staff
    url: https://fronts.co/authors/fronts-team/
publisher: Fronts
image: "https://media.fronts.co/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,fit=cover,gravity=auto,quality=80,format=auto/images/video-library/warfronts-south-america-1200.webp"
type: NewsArticle
language: en
access: members
isAccessibleForFree: false
tokens: 136
---

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Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella has launched Operation Esparta against armed groups in Catatumbo, deploying troops whilst personally joining urban police raids. Despite arrests and airstrikes, insurgents retaliate with explosive drones. Venezuela's unexpected cooperation against the ELN offers hope, but decades of failed strategies raise questions about lasting peace.

---

Full analysis is behind the paywall. Read the gated piece at https://fronts.co/videos/colombias-president-declared-total-war-on-gangs-hows-that-going/.
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