Calarcá Córdoba denies the death of Iván Bite

In the middle of the rarefied environment that surrounds the dissidents of the FARC, Calarcá Córdoba, second in command of the central General Staff (EMC), strongly denied the alleged death of Iván Bite, leader of one of the most powerful factions of that armed group.

The version, which circulated through an anonymous statement on social networks, said that Calarcá’s own block had executed bite. However, the insurgent boss disqualified that information and described it as “false and malicious.”

“The revolutionaries never rejoice in the death of another person,” said Calarcá, adding that the language of the alleged statement does not correspond to their organization.

The national government also went out to the rumor. Camilo González Posso, negotiator head in the dialogues with the EMC, said that it was the same dissent that recognized that the content of the message was false, had been manipulated and carried a letterhead that was not real.

Confusion increased when President Gustavo Petro publicly reacted to the alleged bite death through a trill, which he then eliminated. The publication and its subsequent elimination increased uncertainty and questioned the strength of state intelligence against the movements of the armed leaders.

Although the misinformation was denied, the episode did nothing more than deepen the ideological fracture between Calarcá Córdoba and Iván Bite, whose relationship was already marked by background disagreements.

Calarcá, aligned with the Peace Process of the Government of Gustavo Petro, has openly criticized the militaristic bite line, who turned away from the negotiations and remains in the south of the country, from where he leads armed attacks against the public force and against other dissident fronts.

“Ivan has caused very large political damage. He has kill many guerrillas,” said Calarcá in statements prior to week.

The authorship of the false statement is still not clarified. There are suspicions that it could be an internal misinformation strategy or an external attempt to delve the division between the rebel ranks. In any case, the EMC unit seems increasingly fragile.

Basically, the conflict between Calarcá and Bite also responds to the dispute over the control of illegal economies in regions such as Cauca, Guaviare and Putumayo, where illegal mining, illicit crops and other criminal activities come together.

Today, the authorities still do not confirm the location or health status of Iván Bite. Meanwhile, the insurgent block continues divided, the dialogues are still ongoing, but trust is eroded. And until there is no clarity about the bite fate, uncertainty will continue to mark the course of the peace process.