By Julie Turkewitz
Officials report that at least 80 individuals have lost their lives, and over 18,000 have been compelled to evacuate their residences in Colombia due to intense confrontations between two rival armed factions along the Venezuelan border.
The recent violence, which has transpired over the last four days in a northeastern area known as Catatumbo, represents some of the most severe turmoil the nation has experienced in recent times. This has sparked alarms that Colombia is veering away from the aspiration of “total peace” — an important objective of the leftist president Gustavo Petro, who is currently in the latter half of his four-year tenure.
On Friday, the Colombian president traveled to the affected area, posting on social media platform X his government’s commitment to “support the people of Catatumbo.” He has additionally deployed military personnel and humanitarian resources.
Families who have been displaced are seeking shelter in a stadium in Cúcuta, a border city that has gained notoriety in recent years for hosting Venezuelan migrants. In some instances, Colombians are crossing into Venezuela — a country facing its own humanitarian troubles — where the authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro has vowed to provide assistance to them.
The strife in Catatumbo starkly contrasts the optimism that permeated parts of Colombia less than a decade ago, following a peace agreement with its principal rebel faction, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC.
Colombia endured decades of internal warfare, marked by the struggle between leftist guerilla factions like FARC; paramilitary groups; and governmental forces vying for dominance over the nation and seeking control of lucrative sectors such as drug trafficking.
Thousands of FARC members disarmed under the 2016 accord, which was viewed as a landmark moment for one of the globe’s most tumultuous nations. However, traditional rebel factions, including the National Liberation Army, or ELN, have remained active, and new groups have emerged, all competing for sway over territory and operations abandoned by FARC.
Some of these emerging factions are composed of ex-FARC combatants, fracturing further to fuel an increasingly intricate conflict.
Much of the violence has occurred in rural areas, with many city dwellers in Colombia only vaguely aware of the disturbances happening near their communities.
Previously, FARC adhered to a leftist philosophy, confronting the government and aiming for its overthrow. Today’s armed entities mainly focus on intra-faction combat, contesting for land and profits as the military endeavors to manage the situation.
Catatumbo is characterized by extensive coca plantations, the raw material used in cocaine production. General Luis Emilio Cardozo, commander of the Colombian army, reported that two groups dominate the area: the ELN and a faction of ex-FARC fighters known as the 33rd Front.
A fragile truce between these groups collapsed last week. Cardozo indicated that there had been four or five altercations in recent days, and in other instances, armed personnel were conducting searches, targeting former FARC members they suspected of association with the 33rd Front.
“It was an expertly orchestrated criminal endeavor,” he noted, “they arrived with a list, aiming to execute those they sought.”
In a post on X over the weekend, the ELN labeled the 33rd Front as “the sole target of our operations.”
Nevertheless, numerous victims, including those escaping their homes, seem to be innocent civilians.
At the onset of his presidency, Petro expressed optimism that he could negotiate a peace settlement with various factions within months. However, he has since halted ongoing peace discussions.
According to the Colombian military, the ELN boasts thousands of members, and its footprint has expanded from 149 municipalities in 2019 to 226 the previous year, according to Colombia’s ombudsman.
Over recent years, the group has also extended its reach into Venezuela, where its members operate beyond the Colombian military’s jurisdiction and have found a sympathetic ally in Maduro.
Maduro benefits as well from having an additional armed force cooperating with him.
While the military’s attention is diverted, a separate conflict has recently erupted between two former FARC factions in Guaviare, a province located in the south-central region of Colombia, according to reports from the country’s ombudsman’s office.
For years, organizations like the International Crisis Group have cautioned that Colombia’s security dynamics have worsened since 2016 and could easily escalate into violence.
“We are extremely worried that this moment is upon us,” declared Elizabeth Dickinson, a Colombia-based analyst for the nonprofit. “Heightened tensions on multiple fronts have pushed the conflict to a remarkably perilous turning point.”
Dickinson characterized the intensity of violence in Guaviare as “very substantial” and warned it could potentially spread across several departments in southern Colombia. She noted that there are “many children” involved with the armed groups in that area.
The violence in Catatumbo, positioned in the north along the Venezuelan border, unfolds amidst rising hostilities between Petro and Maduro, who continues to offer sanctuary to ELN members.
Both Petro and Maduro identify themselves as leftists, and merely two years ago, they were seen greeting each other in Caracas and pledging to enhance their relations.
However, Petro has adopted a more confrontational stance towards the dictator in recent weeks, criticizing him for imprisoning political adversaries and withholding the results of a recent presidential election that Maduro claimed he won. The United States and a wide range of other nations contend that the election was ultimately secured by a leading opposition figure.
Petro’s rebuke has incited Maduro’s anger, as he finds himself increasingly isolated on the global stage, even from once-close allies like Colombia and Brazil, and is seeking methods to retaliate against those who reject him.
Last year, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported tracking eight armed conflicts within Colombia.
