Laura Gamba
19 January 2025•Update: 19 January 2025
BOGOTA, Colombia
Clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas and a dissident faction of the former FARC in the Colombian region of Catatumbo have left more than 80 dead, 20 wounded, and thousands displaced, according to Norte de Santander Governor William Villamizar.
"Today, we face a tragic situation: over 80 people have been killed, more than 20 injured; many had to be taken out of the region by air to save their lives," said the governor on Sunday.
The Colombian Army reported separately on Sunday that soldiers conducted an air assault operation in La Gabarra, Tibu municipality, to rescue a social leader and a family member who were being pursued by ELN members.
Entire families, many with young children and pets, have arrived in Cucuta, on the Colombian border with Venezuela.
Authorities are establishing temporary shelters in schools and coliseums to accommodate the displaced population as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
Trucks carrying food, mattresses, drinking water, medical supplies, and other essential items are being dispatched to the urban centers of Cucuta, Ocana, and Tibu, cities in Norte de Santander, where Catatumbo belongs. Some people have even crossed the jungle border into Venezuela.
Thousands of people are arriving in Teorama and other municipalities. Authorities believe that by Monday there will be around 5,000 displaced people in Ocana alone.
Educational institutions throughout the Catatumbo region have suspended classes to ensure the safety of students.
Governor Villamizar sent a message to the ELN and the FARC dissidents, asking them to "open humanitarian routes to allow people to leave."
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez arrived in Cucuta on Sunday morning to attend a security council meeting to discuss the response to the escalating conflict. Ombudsman Iris Marín was also present.
These clashes, which have broken a previous truce between the two armed groups, occurred where armed groups have historically operated across the border. In this region, various illegal armed groups are fighting for control of territory, coca crops, and drug trafficking corridors.
Negotiations with the ELN were a central component of President Gustavo Petro's ambitious "Total Peace" policy, which aimed to engage in simultaneous dialogue with all armed groups operating within the country.
However, the peace talks have been stalled since May, and the previous ceasefire expired on Aug. 3. Since then, the ELN has been implicated in numerous attacks, including a significant assault on a military base in Puerto Jordan, Arauca, on Sept. 17, which resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to 26 others.
On Thursday, Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace, Otty Patino, publicly accused the ELN guerrilla of plotting to assassinate Alvaro Jimenez, another peace negotiator.
