Colombia’s new leader orders hardline crackdowns after dissident FARC chief killed

Colombia’s newly sworn president Abelardo de la Espriella pledged a tough crackdown on illegal armed groups, with a weekend military operation killing dissident FARC commander Hernando Forero Mosquera (El ruso) and five others, plus separate strikes that killed Gulf Clan members. The move signals a shift from the prior administration’s peace approach as the US commits about $1 billion in security aid and Colombia joins the Shield of the Americas to bolster anti-drug trafficking efforts.