• 57 Colombian soldiers were kidnapped in the Micay Canyon by civilians.
• Civilians acted under pressure from the FARC dissident group.
• President Gustavo Petro stressed the urgent need to free the soldiers.
• The Micay Canyon is a key cocaine production area in Colombia.

Colombia's military announced that 57 soldiers were kidnapped by civilians in the Micay Canyon area, a conflict-ridden region known for cocaine production. The abduction occurred in two phases over the weekend, with 31 soldiers taken on Saturday and an additional 26 on Sunday, according to BBC, India Times, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

General Federico Alberto Mejia described the situation as a "kidnapping" executed by locals under the influence of the Central General Staff (EMC), a dissident faction of the FARC. President Gustavo Petro emphasized that freeing the soldiers was "imperative" and urged communities to stop aligning with armed groups prompted by external influences, highlighting the need for peace in the area, as reported by BBC, India Times, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

This incident reflects escalating tensions in the region, historically marked by violence and illegal activities. The area, particularly El Tambo and El Plateado, is a significant locus for suburban cocaine production, where communities are often coerced into opposing military presence, compounding the already fragile security situation, according to BBC, India Times, and Reuters.

Military efforts were mobilized to secure the release of the soldiers after they were taken, highlighting the Colombian government’s struggle to restore order and control in territories abandoned by FARC after the 2016 peace agreement. Such episodes amplify fears of a return to the violence witnessed in Colombia's past, as noted in BBC, India Times, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and BBC.