Colombia’s ELN guerrilla group attacked a military base near the Venezuela border using drones and explosives. The attack killed six soldiers and wounded more than 28 others. The attack happened on Thursday night at a rural military outpost in Aguachica. This was the second deadly clash with security forces in one week, with at least eight soldiers killed in total. The ELN, founded in 1964 and inspired by the Cuban revolution, is the oldest surviving guerrilla group in the Americas. It controls important drug-producing areas in Colombia. Efforts to negotiate peace with the ELN have repeatedly failed. Colombia’s defense minister Pedro Sánchez said on social media, “I categorically reject the ELN’s terrorist action using drones and launching of explosive devices against a Military Base … with the regrettable loss of 6 of our soldiers and at least about 28 soldiers wounded.” In October, the US sanctioned Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro for his alleged reluctance to target armed cocaine-trafficking groups. Petro, a former guerrilla himself, took power in 2022 and tried to hold talks with well-armed cocaine producers instead of fighting them. However, these negotiations stalled. The US warned Petro his country could “be next” in the fight against cocaine. Colombia is the world’s top cocaine producer, according to the UN. The ELN has a growing presence in Venezuela, controlling parts of eight states. It has expanded its finances, territory, and political influence. While the group claims to follow leftist nationalist beliefs, it is heavily involved in the drug trade and is one of the region’s most powerful crime groups. Last week, the ELN vowed to defend Colombia against US “threats of imperialist intervention.”