The Venezuelan military is reported to have bombed a camp of the National Liberation Army (ELN) on Friday, October 30, in the state of Apure, which borders Colombia, in an operation that would have resulted in 19 guerrillas dead and, if confirmed, would mark a historic shift in Chavismo's relations with that armed group.
The NGO Fundaredes reported the attack in the Buena Vista sector of Meta, Pedro Camejo municipality, and shared with the agency AFP a video showing scattered bodies, fallen trees, and the remnants of a destroyed camp.
His director, Javier Tarazona, stated that one of his coordinators had observed nine corpses, while another ten deceased individuals were reported in the area, according to information gathered by El Pitazo.
Tarazona described the operation as the "first bombing of Venezuela against the ELN," while human rights defender Rocío San Miguel confirmed having received reports from local residents about the attack and its victims. "There is a lot of fear in the area," she warned, due to the pressures exerted by the guerrilla on the local population.
The coordinator of Fundaredes in Apure, Juan Francisco García, indicated that operations to remove irregular groups from the territory began on October 28. In statements collected by NTN24, he linked the change in military behavior to the political situation that arose following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3.
García believed that a similar operation was previously "impossible" due to the historical ties between Venezuelan authorities, the ELN, and other irregular organizations operating along the Colombian border.
For over two decades, Chavismo allowed vast regions of Venezuela to operate as a sanctuary, logistical rear guard, and drug trafficking corridor for Colombian guerrillas.
A report published in July 2026 by the European Union Agency for Asylum documented the presence of the ELN in Venezuelan territory and gathered allegations of cooperation with state security forces in controlling border areas and drug trafficking routes.
The specialized organization InSight Crime has also documented how the ELN consolidated its presence in states such as Apure, Táchira, and Amazonas, establishing cooperation relations with Venezuelan military and political sectors. In 2022, for instance, the guerrilla participated alongside Venezuelan forces in operations against FARC dissidents in Apure, which allowed them to expand their territorial control.
The alleged bombing occurs amid a rapid rapprochement between Caracas and Washington since Maduro's fall. Under the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela reestablished diplomatic relations with the United States in March and expanded energy and security cooperation.
In September, Washington removed the country from the list of governments deemed non-compliant with their drug control commitments, although it remained categorized as one of the main territories for drug trafficking.
The change coincides with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella's offensive against armed organizations. On October 22, a bombing against the ELN in Cauca resulted in the deaths of ten guerrillas, according to the report released by Bogotá on the 25th, as reported by Noticias Caracol.
Another operation, carried out on October 28 against the Gulf Clan in Chocó, resulted in seven deaths, according to the results announced by the Colombian Presidency on Saturday.
For Cuba, the alleged attack against the ELN represents another sign of the weakening of the political and strategic alliances that have supported chavismo and castrismo for decades.
Havana not only maintained a close political, economic, and military cooperation with Caracas, but also a long history of relations with Colombian guerrillas, including the ELN, to whose founders it provided revolutionary inspiration, training, and support during their early decades of existence.
Declassified CIA documents, published by the National Security Archive at George Washington University, also identify the ELN among the Colombian insurgent movements that received funding from Cuba during the 1960s and document the training of Colombian guerrillas on the island.
Since Maduro's capture, Rodríguez's government has made progress in a reorientation that directly affects Havana.
The supply of Venezuelan oil to Cuba remains suspended under U.S. export control, while an investigation by Reuters revealed the exit of Cuban advisors from Venezuelan security and intelligence agencies and their replacement in certain roles by national personnel.
This is supplemented by the recent announcements by Delcy Rodríguez regarding democratic reforms, elections, guarantees for private property, and the potential return of expropriated goods, proposals that contrast with the traditional defense of the chavista model by the Cuban regime.
Although a significant portion of those promises still needs to materialize, the political and economic rift between former allies is becoming increasingly evident.
If a Venezuelan military offensive against the ELN is confirmed now, it would add another episode to that regional transformation, which leaves the regime in Havana progressively more isolated and deprived of former allies, resources, and mechanisms of strategic influence.
At the close of this edition, the Venezuelan government had not issued an official statement confirming the bombing in Apure or the number of casualties.
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