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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

July 30, 2025

What Threats Do Rebel Drones Pose in Colombia?

Colombia’s armed forces have begun manufacturing their own drones as they battle escalating attacks from rebel groups. President Gustavo Petro is pictured inspecting a military drone on July 9. // Photo: Colombian Government.

Q

  • Three soldiers were killed and eight others were injured in a drone attack on July 20 in the rebel-plagued Catatumbo region of northern Colombia; Colombia’s military said members of the ELN paramilitary group were behind the attack. Colombia’s rebel groups used explosive-laden drones in violent assaults on at least 115 occasions last year, according to Colombia’s Defense Ministry. How effectively are Colombia’s armed forces responding to rapid shifts in military technologies being used by rebel paramilitary organizations? What geographic regions and economic sectors in Colombia are most at risk from rebel drone attacks? How has escalating organized criminal violence in Colombia affected political dynamics ahead of the country’s general election next May?

A

Henry Ziemer, associate fellow for the Americas at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): “The lethality of the recent attack in Catatumbo, along with reports that the drones used by the ELN had thermal sensors, suggests a rapid evolution taking place in Colombia’s armed conflict. Compared to other countries like Mexico, the use of armed drones by criminal groups in Colombia is more recent, with reports only beginning to crop up around 2023. However, the pace of adaptation and tactical innovation by groups like the ELN has been striking. In addition to the use of thermal optics, Colombian armed groups have also experimented with the use of first-person view or ‘kamikaze’ drones rigged with explosives that detonate on contact. These drones, a familiar sight on the battlefields of Ukraine, offer a degree of precision and maneuverability…”

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The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.
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Diego Arria
Director,
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Merike Blofield
Professor of Political Science,
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Devry Boughner Vorwerk
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Joyce Chang
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Nicolas Mariscal
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Thomas F. McLarty III
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Beatrice Rangel
Director,
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Ernesto Revilla
Head of Latin American Economics, Citi

Gustavo Roosen
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Andrés Rozental
President, Rozental &
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Shelly Shetty
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