Over 80 people killed in Colombia as ceasefire between rebel groups collapses
More than 80 people have been killed and thousands displaced in northeast Colombia following the government’s failed attempt to hold peace talks between rebel groups.
William Villamizar, governor of North Santander, where most of the conflict took place, said that at least 80 people were killed as the conflict broke out between ELN and FARC rebel groups during the weekend in northeast Colombia, while several thousand people were displaced.
The National Liberation Army (ELN) assaulted the Catatumbo region last Thursday against the combatants of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla force who kept fighting after it supposedly disarmed in 2016.
Community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people, who attempted to sign a peace deal, are among the victims. Also, three other individuals who were part of the peace talks have been kidnapped.
Civilians were caught in the middle. Terrified citizens carrying backpacks and belongings on overladen motorcycles, and boats fled the region over the weekend, said the governor.
According to official estimates, thousands of people have fled the area, with some hiding in the nearby lush mountains or seeking help at government shelters in nearby cities.
Also, an unspecified number of people have crossed the border and taken shelter in the neighboring Venezuela.
Venezuela has announced the launch of “a special operation to assist the civilian population displaced from Colombia.”
Civil conflict in Colombia, one of the closest allies of the US in Latin America, has left as many as 220,000 dead, 25,000 disappeared, and 5.7 million displaced over the last half-century.
The conflict officially began in 1964 with the formation of two separate guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The FARC was composed of militant communists and peasant self-defense groups, while the ELN’s ranks were dominated by students, Catholic radicals, and left-wing intellectuals who hoped to replicate Fidel Castro’s revolution.
Both oppose the privatization of natural resources and claim to represent the rural poor against Colombia’s wealthy.
A peace process between the government and leaders of FARC in 2016 temporarily halted the violence. However, the rearmament of the group, along with the resurgence of other guerrilla and paramilitary organizations has left the country in a state of constant conflict.
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Over 80 people killed in Colombia as ceasefire between rebel groups collapses
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