Élmer Caviedes

The JEP named Élmer Caviedes among former FARC leaders charged in the final regional phase of its investigation into hostage-taking and serious deprivation of liberty. The case also covers abuse of captives and potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. These charges do not amount to a final judicial conviction.

State of the evidence

The 9 February 2026 official decision and an El Espectador report document the charge.

Legal status — source text

Charges in JEP Case 01; acknowledgement and judgment are separate pending stages.

Attribution

Alleged responsibility in the hostage-taking policy and offences committed against captives.

The JEP named Élmer Caviedes among twenty-seven former Southern and Eastern Bloc members charged in Case 10. The investigation covers killings, attacks, displacement, disappearances and abuses against civilians, but individual responsibility must be distinguished from the groups’ combined record. The tribunal allows each defendant to accept or challenge the allegations.

State of the evidence

The 4 August JEP release names the individual and explains their former position.

Legal status — source text

Case 10 charges with no evidence of a final criminal ruling.

Attribution

Alleged regional liability for war crimes or crimes against humanity not addressed in other cases.

The JEP named Élmer Caviedes in Case 09 concerning crimes against five Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and Orinoco regions between 1996 and 2016. The regional proceedings cover alleged murders, forced displacement, persecution, use of landmines and environmental harm. This is an initial attribution of legal responsibility, not an individual final criminal conviction.

State of the evidence

The 13 October official JEP release and El País cover these allegations.

Legal status — source text

Case 09 charges; the accused may acknowledge or contest responsibility and no final sentence was identified.

Attribution

Alleged command or participatory responsibility for crimes affecting Indigenous communities.

The JEP named Élmer Caviedes among eleven former FARC leaders in subcase 01 of Case 11 concerning sexual and gender-based violence against civilians. The collective decision covers charges such as rape, sexual slavery, torture, displacement and persecution. The judges distinguish direct acts from command responsibility; the allegations in the announcement must not all be ascribed personally to every former commander.

State of the evidence

The official JEP statement and the EFE dispatch name the individual among the eleven charged.

Legal status — source text

Formal JEP charges issued on 9 November 2026, with no final judgment.

Attribution

Liability alleged by the JEP for sexual or gender-based violence attributed to the former armed group.