Walter Patricio Arízala Vernaza, also known as William Quiñonez or Luis Alfredo Pai Jiménez, (9 November 1989 – 21 December 2018),[1][2] better known by his nom de guerre Alias Guacho was an Ecuadorian, member of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), after 2016 peace agreement became a FARC dissident.
Walter Patricio "Guacho" Arízala Vernaza | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 November 1989 Valdez, Esmeraldas, Ecuador |
| Died | 21 December 2018 (aged 29) Tumaco, Colombia |
| Allegiance | Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia |
| Unit | 29th Front |
Life
editA native of Valdez, Esmeraldas, Ecuador,[3] Arízala joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2007.[4] He became known by the aliases Guacho and William Quiñónez.[5]
Arízala led FARC's 29th Front.[6] He participated in the peace process between FARC and the Colombian government, but broke away in 2017, choosing not to acknowledge a ceasefire brokered in June 2016.[7] Subsequently, the 29th Front was renamed the Oliver Sinisterra Front.[8] Arízala's faction was based in Nariño Department, where it often engaged with the United Guerrillas of the Pacific, led by another FARC dissident.[9] Under his leadership, the Oliver Sinisterra Front captured and killed two journalists and their driver in April 2018,[10] and separately held an Ecuadorian man and woman.[11] The governments of Colombia and Ecuador both offered rewards of $100,000 for information resulting in Arízala's capture.[12]
Arízala died at the age of 29 on 21 December 2018 in a joint military and police operation launched by Colombia and Ecuador near Tumaco, Colombia.[13][14]
References
edit- ^ The DNA of Guacho's mother corresponds to the body. Navms
- ^ Legal medicine confirmed that "Guacho" is called Luis Alfredo Pai Jiménez. Vaaju[permanent dead link]
- ^ "¿QUIÉN ES WALTER PATRICIO ARTÍZALA VERNAZA, ALIAS 'GUACHO'?". Vistazo (in Spanish). 28 March 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Ecuador and Colombia begin hunt for Guacho". Cuenca HighLife. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Jefe de disidencia de Farc señalado de ataque en Tumaco es de Ecuador". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 5 October 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Sharkey, Laura (1 May 2018). "Violence Shocks Ecuador As Colombia's Woes Spread South". Forbes. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Goodman, Joshua (21 December 2018). "Colombia guns down dissident rebel behind press kidnapping". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Krumholtz, Michael (18 September 2018). "Colombia's most wanted guerrilla wounded in shootout with military". The Bogotá Post. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Brian (24 July 2018). "ON THE TRAIL OF 'GUACHO,' THE NARCO MAKING A KILLING FROM COLOMBIA'S PEACE PROCESS". National Post. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Daniels, Joe Parkin (13 April 2018). "Ecuadorian journalists kidnapped by rebels have been killed, president says". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Ecuadorian hostages held by dissident Colombian rebels plead for president's help". The Guardian. Associated Press. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Murphy, Helen (21 December 2018). "Colombian FARC dissident Guacho, who shot dead three Ecuadoreans, killed". The Guardian. Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018. Alt URL
- ^ Hauser, Jennifer; Castillo, Jackie (22 December 2018). "Rogue FARC leader 'Guacho' killed in raid". CNN. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Muere alias "Guacho": Colombia confirma el abatimiento del líder guerrillero acusado del asesinato de tres periodistas de Ecuador" (in Spanish). BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2018.