The residents of the Campesino Reserve Zone (ZRC) El Pato-Balsillas (municipality of San Vicente del Caguán, Caquetá Department), are at risk from the escalating conflict and struggle for dominance between the armed groups Central General Staff (EMC, a FARC-dissident group) and the Second Marquetalia. On October 7, the EMC named three social leaders as military targets: Javier Güependo, legal representative of the Municipal Association of Colonos del Pato (Amcop); Javier Sotto, prosecutor of Amcop and manager of the COOPABI cooperative; and Darwin Manchola, signatory of the Final Peace Agreement, president of the Guayabal Community Action Board, and current candidate for the San Vicente del Caguán Council.
The government negotiated with EMC to begin a three-month ceasefire, which began on October 16, but agreements have been broken in the past, and the community continues to hold increasing fear of being attacked by the dissident groups present in the region.