Colombian government and dissident rebels set date for talks

The Second Marquetalia is one of the main dissident groups to emerge after most of the Farc rebels had laid down their arms in 2016.

Thought to be made up of around 1,000 fighters, the group engages in cocaine smuggling and kidnapping for ransom, and is known for attacking Colombia’s security forces.

Last month, the Colombian military dismantled a clandestine “factory” where it said members of the Second Marquetalia loaded drones with explosives they planned to detonate above police stations and military bases.

While it is most active on Colombia’s border with Venezuela, it also has units operating in other parts of the country.

Its leader, whose nom de guerre is Iván Márquez, was one of the main negotiators of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Farc.