Colombia’s ELN guerrilla group says it kidnapped Army sub-lieutenant María Camila Pantoja in Saravena, a town in Arauca near the Venezuelan border. The Army says it has activated search protocols, and rescue efforts are under way.
The ELN, or National Liberation Army, is one of Colombia’s largest guerrilla groups and is designated a terrorist organisation by the United States. Arauca is a Colombian province on the Venezuelan frontier, where armed groups are active.
Ms Pantoja was taken on the afternoon of Wednesday 4 November 2026, in the urban area of Saravena. The ELN claimed the abduction on Thursday 5 November in a video and a written communiqué.
What We Know
Pantoja Hernández is a subteniente, or sub-lieutenant, attached to the Army’s 18th Cavalry Group. Military sources say she was assigned to intelligence units, a detail we could not independently confirm.
Saravena is a town in Arauca, an oil-producing province that Colombia shares with Venezuela. Armed groups and the Army have contested the area for years.
The Army’s official name for her unit is Grupo de Caballería Mediano No. 18, or Medium Cavalry Group No. 18. Military sources say she was carrying out tasks assigned by her superiors.
Reports say two armed men on a motorcycle intercepted her in the town centre on Wednesday. The Ombudsman’s Office, Colombia’s state human rights watchdog, says she was wearing civilian clothes.
The office, led by Iris Marín Ortiz, demanded her immediate release. It cited Early Warning Alert 014-25, a formal risk notice it issued for Arauca in October 2025.
The Ombudsman’s Office is an independent state body that monitors human rights. It also issues early warnings when armed groups threaten civilians in a region.
The alert, issued on 20 October 2025, warned of fighting in Arauca between the ELN and FARC dissidents, former rebels who rejected the 2016 peace deal. It did not single out this case.
On Thursday the ELN published a video and communiqué claiming the abduction. It says its Eastern War Front, a regional command, carried out an “urban search and control action”.
The group says she is well and that her rights will be respected, though it ties this to the realities of war in the region. It holds the armed forces responsible for “any rescue attempt that puts her life at risk”.
The ELN formed in 1964 and has fought the Colombian state for decades. It stayed outside the 2016 peace deal that disarmed the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), once the country’s largest rebel group.
The Army attributes the kidnapping to the ELN’s Domingo Laín Sáenz front, a unit within the Eastern War Front. It has activated search protocols, with the Navy, the Aerospace Force and the National Police involved.
The kidnapping follows an Army offensive against the ELN, including recent bombings of the group’s camps. President Abelardo De La Espriella leads the government that is pressing that campaign.
What Is Not Known
As of Thursday night, neither the Army nor the ELN has said where Ms Pantoja is being held. The ELN has published no demands or conditions for her release.
Some Colombian military sources fear the group may take her across the border into Venezuela. That concern is unconfirmed, and we have seen no evidence that she has left Colombia.
The ELN has not said how long it plans to hold her. Nor has it said whether it will release proof of her condition.
Her condition rests only on the ELN’s own statement. Her military role, including the intelligence assignment, rests on military sources alone.
Casa de Nariño, the presidential palace in Bogotá. (File photo) photo. The Casa de Nariño, Colombia's presidential palace, Bogotá. Photo: Mriobomorales, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
The US government designates the ELN a terrorist organisation. Arauca is a conflict zone, and the Army is now running search operations there.
The ELN has long been reported to operate on both sides of the Venezuelan border. Military sources told Colombian media the Army is manoeuvring to prevent a move across that frontier.
Travellers should follow their own government’s advisories before any trip near the Venezuelan border. Those advisories change as security conditions change.
For US readers, the case is a reminder of the risks armed groups pose near the Venezuelan border. We will update this story when the Army or the ELN release new information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is María Camila Pantoja?
She is an Army sub-lieutenant attached to the Army’s 18th Cavalry Group. Military sources say she served in intelligence units, and she was kidnapped in Saravena on 4 November 2026.
Who is holding her?
The ELN, one of Colombia’s largest guerrilla groups, claimed the kidnapping on 5 November. The Army attributes the kidnapping to the ELN’s Domingo Laín Sáenz front.
Where is she now?
Her location is unknown. The Army has activated search protocols, and some military sources fear she could be taken into Venezuela, which is unconfirmed.
Is it safe to travel to Arauca?
Arauca is a conflict zone near the Venezuelan border, and the ELN is active there. Travellers should check their own government’s advisories before planning any trip.
The next signals to watch are any proof of life, any ELN conditions and the Army’s account of the search. Until then, the open questions above remain open.
Sources: Colombian Army statement (5 November 2026); ELN video and communiqué (5 November 2026); Defensoría del Pueblo (Ombudsman’s Office) statement. Related: Colombia Task Force Targets ELN After 2 Drone Attacks; Colombia Says Bombing Killed 10 Rebels; Colombia Rescues 8 ELN Hostages, Kills 5 Guerrillas in Raids.
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