November 6, 2005: The government deal with AUC, to provide amnesty in return for AUC disarming and disbanding, has hit some snags. Some factions of AUC are unwilling to give up their guns, and their lucrative drug business. Another complication is FARC groups trying to move into areas where the local AUC groups are disbanding. Some of those AUC members suddenly have second thoughts, because there is bad blood between AUC and FARC gunmen, who have been killing each other for years. Disarming makes many AUC members vulnerable to FARC killers.
October 31, 2005: Troops killed ten AUC rebels in eastern Colombia. So far, only 9,000 of 20,000 AUC members have disarmed, and many of those who have not are quite hostile to the army and police.
October 30, 2005: Government commandoes raided a drug gang headquarters deep in the jungle, capturing John Eidelber Cano, a major gang leader. His bodyguard, of twenty AUC gunmen, fled after a short and violent firefight. Cano had a $5 million price on his head, and that brought out the information making the raid possible. The informant will receive the reward. This particular operation is particularly scary for the drug gangs and rebels, for it demonstrates again that the rewards can reach deep inside criminal organizations, and that the government commandoes can carry out these daring operations, anywhere in the country (via the growing government helicopter fleet.)
October 28, 2005: Over the last few days, FARC and AUC forces fought each other in western Colombia. At least eighty have been killed, as the two organizations battle over control of territory. The army and police are standing by, to take on the winner.
