Bogota [Colombia], January 23: Colombian special forces have entered a stronghold of armed groups near the border with Venezuela, in an effort to reassert government control in the conflict-torn region.
The Catatumbo mountains in northeastern Colombia are at the centre of a bloody battle between armed groups trying to control the area. And Colombian special forces have been deployed to the area, according to AFP.
Fighting escalates
Located on Colombia's border with Venezuela, Catatumbo has a population of about 300,000 and accounts for 15% of Colombia's total coca production. Security officials say the conflict there has been between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and its rival FARC-EMC, the remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The FARC was founded in 1964 and agreed to disarm in 2016 after signing a historic peace deal with the Colombian government to end Latin America's longest-running armed conflict. While around 11,000 FARC members laid down their arms in 2016, a small number continue to cling to some parts of Colombia. The ELN, also founded in 1964, now has around 6,000 fighters. AFP quoted experts as saying that the ELN's leadership in Catatumbo faces fierce competition from the increasingly influential FARC-EMC.
The FARC-EMC and ELN have long fought for control of the Catatumbo region and its lucrative drug trafficking routes, before a ceasefire was reached. However, violence in the region escalated last week as ELN members attacked civilians, accusing them of collaborating with the FARC-EMC.
AP reported that gunmen broke into several homes and dragged people out before executing the victims at close range. In just six days, at least 100 people have died in violence in the three cities of Tibu, Ocaña and Cúcuta. The UN estimates that more than 20,000 people have fled, about 30 have been kidnapped and 1,000 are trapped in their homes due to the threat of violence.
Declare a state of emergency
Last weekend, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the suspension of peace talks with the ELN, citing war crimes committed by the group , according to AFP. "The ELN has chosen the path of war, and they will receive it," President Petro stressed, before declaring a state of emergency in the Catatumbo region.
The declaration of a state of emergency allows the executive branch to pass specific laws within three months without congressional approval. However, Colombia's Constitutional Court can invalidate presidential decrees if it deems them inappropriate. "I hope to receive the support of the judiciary," Petro wrote on the social network X.
The government has also deployed about 5,000 troops to the border in the hope of bringing under control the worst violence the country has faced in years. Temporary checkpoints have been set up on the outskirts of Tibu. However, there have been no clashes between special forces and armed militants, including at the most intense points of the fighting.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper