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Elí Mendoza

1938 – 2025

Colombian guerrilla

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About Elí Mendoza

Lived 1938 – 2025 (aged 86–87). Elí Mendoza was a Colombian partisan.

Elí Mejía Mendoza (1938 – May 19, 2025) better known by his alias Martín Sombra was a Colombian guerrilla, and member of the Eastern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Biography Mendoza was born in La Dorada. He became part of the FARC-EP in 1966, where he would be close to Manuel Marulanda, and in 1986 he was commissioned to create the Ciro Trujillo Company to enter Casanare. As part of the command of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP, he participated in the attack on the Girasoles military base in 1992. He was also known as the jailer of the FARC-EP, as he was in charge of the custody of the hostages. He held dialogues with the Bolivarian Guerrillas of Venezuela.

In 2008, he was arrested on his way to Saboyá. He took advantage of the Justice and Peace Law, designed by the government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez and in 2010 he was sentenced to 24 years for the Taking of Mitú (Operation Marquetalia). Around 2017, he was released. But he was recaptured on February 1, 2020, for the kidnapping of cattle rancher Samuel Estupiñán in 2017.

On May 19, 2025, he died at the El Tunal Hospital in Bogotá, at the age of 87.

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Important facts

Born
1938, La Dorada
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality

People in Elí Mendoza's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Elí Mendoza's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Elí Mendoza?

Colombian guerrilla (1938–2025)

When was Elí Mendoza born?

Elí Mendoza was born in 1938 in La Dorada.

When did Elí Mendoza die?

Elí Mendoza died on 19 May 2025 in Bogotá.

What was Elí Mendoza's occupation?

Elí Mendoza was a partisan.

What nationality was Elí Mendoza?

Elí Mendoza was Colombian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Elí Mendoza

· Wikidata: Q122189670

· DBpedia: Martín Sombra

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Elí Mendoza. https://biography.guide/eli-mendoza/

MLA: "Elí Mendoza." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/eli-mendoza/.

Chicago: "Elí Mendoza." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/eli-mendoza/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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