Andean Region in January 2026: the most important developments in security
The Andean region's security news in January 2026 was led by a plane crash in Colombia on 28 January that killed 15 people, including a congressman and a former governor who was a candidate in upcoming regional elections. The aircraft went down in a mountainous area in the country's northwest, and authorities are investigating the cause.
The month also began with US military action in Venezuela and its effects on Colombia. A Colombian woman was killed during the US bombings in Venezuela, and Colombia deployed troops to its border with Venezuela. On 5 January the US president said a potential operation in Colombia 'sounds good to me'. Colombian President Gustavo Petro promised to defend the homeland and said he would take up arms again in response to the threats, and a Colombian minister urged preparing a defence against a potential US invasion. Guerrilla leaders were reported to have fled to Colombia after the US operation in Venezuela.
Colombia also restricted drone imports amid attacks by armed groups. In Ecuador, five severed heads were found in plastic bags in the city of Santo Domingo, which authorities link to a war between drug trafficking gangs. Ecuador protested after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attempted to enter its consulate in Minneapolis, an action Ecuador says violates the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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