More than 32,000 People Flee Colombia as Militant Fighting Escalates
A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Colombia as over 32,000 people have fled to towns in the northeastern region of Catatumbo in an attempt to escape a sharp rise in fighting between militant factions. According to Colombia’s ombudsman, Iris Marín, the violence escalated last week, displacing tens of thousands of people, with hundreds more confined to their homes and unable to evacuate due to the severity of the clashes.
Colombian authorities report that at least 80 people have been killed in the fighting. The majority of those displaced, almost 15,000, have flocked to the city of Cúcuta near the Venezuelan border, where a major campaign is underway to shelter them. The city’s football stadium has been converted into a large welcome center, providing food, water, and clothing to the displaced.
Cúcuta Mayor Jorge Acevedo has pledged to support those in need, saying, “We are going to address the emergency that is occurring. Total solidarity, respect, affection, and love for these human beings who are arriving in the city of Cúcuta.”
The crisis is a direct result of increased clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and spin-off groups of the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Both groups were founded in the 1960s and 1970s as left-wing guerrilla groups, but are now mostly involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has suspended peace talks with the ELN, whose actions he has described as criminal. In response, the Attorney General’s Office has reactivated arrest warrants for 31 ELN members involved in peace negotiations. Human Rights Watch has criticized Petro’s “total peace” initiative, saying it has allowed armed groups to expand their presence and control over remote communities.
The International Crisis Group’s Colombia senior analyst, Elizabeth Dickinson, notes that the region of Catatumbo is a strategic territory for drug production and trafficking due to its proximity to Venezuela, which has seen some of the highest levels of violence in modern Colombian history. The region’s geography has made it a hub for illegal activities, including drug trafficking.
Colombia’s defense ministry has deployed over 5,000 soldiers and special forces to Cúcuta, while more than 400 evacuations have been carried out in the Catatumbo region since the uptick in fighting last week. Venezuela has also implemented a humanitarian operation to help Colombian families that have arrived in recent days.