Key Facts
- Who. Two Colombian state criminal investigators, held by the ELN (National Liberation Army), a guerrilla group, since 8 May 2025, were freed on Thursday 12 November 2026.
- Where. Arauca province, a Colombian province on the Venezuelan border.
- Unknown. Any ELN conditions, the captives’ health and the government’s response are not known.
- Power Index. Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
- Status. As of 12 November 2026, 18:39 GMT
Colombia’s ELN guerrillas have freed two state investigators after about 18 months in captivity in Arauca, near the Venezuelan border.
On Thursday 12 November 2026 the ELN (National Liberation Army, a Colombian guerrilla group) freed two investigators of the CTI, the criminal-investigation unit of the Attorney General’s Office. They are Jesús Antonio Pacheco Oviedo and Rodrigo Antonio López Estrada, according to Infobae (12 November 2026), a Latin American news site.
They had been held since Thursday 8 May 2025, and Infobae (12 November 2026) and Vanguardia (12 November 2026), a daily newspaper from Bucaramanga, put the time in captivity at about 18 months. El Espectador (12 November 2026), a Bogotá daily, says about 17 months, but the dates it gives make it just over 18.
For US readers, the United States lists the ELN as a foreign terrorist organisation, and Arauca is a Colombian province on the Venezuelan border. The release ends a captivity that began in Arauca in May 2025.
How the Handover Happened
A commission of the Catholic Church, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (a UN political mission that monitors peace commitments), the Red Cross (the International Committee of the Red Cross, a neutral humanitarian body) and the Defensoría del Pueblo, the state human-rights ombudsman, received the two men. Vanguardia (12 November 2026) reports the ELN first supplied coordinates and security protocols.
The ELN’s Eastern War Front, a regional command, announced: “Cumplimos. Damos libertad a los procesados del CTI”, meaning “We kept our word.
We free the CTI defendants”, per Infobae (12 November 2026). The group had announced its own “juicio revolucionario”, a revolutionary trial, against the two agents.
The Defensoría said that trial “carece de validez y legitimidad”, lacks validity and legitimacy, according to Infobae (12 November 2026). El Espectador (12 November 2026) adds that the Defensoría called the release “un alivio” (a relief) for the families, while Infobae says the ELN framed the release as a sentence reduction.
The Wider Picture
The release follows our earlier report on the ELN’s seizure of an Army officer: Colombia Rebels Seize Officer María Pantoja (5 November 2026). The two cases show the group still takes captives.
President Abelardo de la Espriella ended the government’s dialogue processes with armed groups. A Presidency communiqué cited by El País Cali (11 September 2026), a Cali newspaper, says participation in the dialogue processes, including with the ELN, is over.
In Plain English
The CTI gathers evidence for criminal cases, and the ELN is a rebel army that has fought the Colombian state for decades. The “revolutionary trial” is the group’s own process, which has no legal standing.
What Is Not Known
We found no statement from the Attorney General’s Office or the President’s office on the release. We also do not know whether the ELN received any conditions or payment.
The men’s health and current whereabouts are not known. Vanguardia (12 November 2026) presents as the ELN’s version that one of them needs specialised medical care, and we could not confirm it.
What It Means for You
The US State Department lists the ELN as a foreign terrorist organisation, a status that dates from 8 October 1997. Investors and travellers with exposure to Arauca should treat the area as a conflict zone.
Travellers should read their own government’s advisories before any trip near the Venezuelan border. A single release does not change the security picture there.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did the ELN free?
It freed two investigators of the CTI, the Attorney General’s criminal-investigation unit, named Jesús Antonio Pacheco Oviedo and Rodrigo Antonio López Estrada. They were released in Arauca on 12 November 2026.
How long were they held?
They were taken on 8 May 2025. Infobae and Vanguardia say about 18 months, which matches the dates.
Who received them?
A commission of the Catholic Church, the Defensoría del Pueblo, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia and the Red Cross. The Defensoría called the release a relief for the families.
Is the ELN still holding hostages?
No official November count has been found, so we do not know how many hostages the ELN still holds. The Attorney General’s Office had not published one in the sources we checked.
The next signals to watch are the Attorney General’s account of the case and any further ELN releases. Until then, the questions above stay open.
Sources: Infobae (12 November 2026); Vanguardia (12 November 2026); El Espectador (12 November 2026); Defensoría del Pueblo; El País Cali (11 September 2026); US State Department, foreign terrorist organisation list (designation of 8 October 1997).
In depth
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error