LEFT
At a spot by the San
Juan River where ELN
forces were recuperat-
ing and training earlier
this year, several fight-
ers reload a boat to
head upriver for shoot-
ing practice. “When
I joined ELN, I didn’t
know much,” says an
18-year-old known as
Estefanía. “Now I know
how to cook. I know how
to shoot. But I still don’t
know how to fight.”
ABOVE
To conceal their identi-
ties, Estefanía and other
ELN fighters avoid
photos that show their
faces—which in some
cases are very young.
Though she’s still in her
teens, Estefanía says
she’s been with the
guerrillas for more than
two years. Washing
clothes in the river, she
keeps on her jewelry
and a dog tag engraved
with the Lord’s Prayer.IN THE FIGHT 143