The death toll from violent clashes in Colombia’s Catatumbo region has risen to 60, according to the country’s human rights office. The violence, attributed to rival armed groups, has exacerbated the already volatile situation in this cocaine-producing region, which sits near the Venezuelan border.
The latest unrest involves the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC, a former rebel group that signed a peace treaty with the Colombian government in 2016, is now facing renewed conflict with the ELN, the largest remaining armed group in Colombia. The clashes mark the collapse of a fragile truce between these factions, which had been engaged in peace negotiations with the government before the violence flared up.
The Ombudsman’s Office, a Colombian government agency tasked with defending human rights, reported that the situation has become increasingly dire for local communities. Many residents, including community leaders and their families, are at heightened risk of kidnapping or death. The group also highlighted the plight of 20 individuals recently abducted by the ELN, half of whom were women.
Among those killed are seven signatories of the 2016 peace agreement, along with Carmelo Guerrero, a prominent leader of the Association for Peasant Unity in Catatumbo (Asuncat). The organization reported that two of its board members, Roger Quintero and Freiman Velasquez, went missing amid the violence.
In addition to the human toll, the violence has left communities facing food shortages, with local supply chains severely disrupted. Thousands of people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting, and vulnerable groups—such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities—are suffering the most.
In response, the Colombian government, led by President Gustavo Petro, has condemned the ELN for what it called “war crimes” and accused the group of showing no willingness to negotiate peace. In turn, the ELN has blamed the FARC for initiating the conflict, claiming they were provoked by the killing of civilians.
In an effort to restore order, the Colombian army has deployed additional troops to the region, hoping to quell the violence and protect civilians caught in the crossfire. The deteriorating situation in Catatumbo highlights the continued struggle for control of Colombia’s lucrative cocaine trade and the challenge of achieving lasting peace in a country plagued by decades of armed conflict.
