80 killed, thousands displaced in four days in Colombia armed clashes

Kathmandu, More than 80 people, including civilians, have been killed in four days in a new spate of armed clashes in Colombia as the peace process stalls.

Officials informed on Monday that around 11,000 people were displaced after the incident of armed clashes. The army deployed about 5,000 troops to the cocaine-growing Catatumbo region after residents fled for their lives.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) armed group attacked a rival group in Catatumbo on Thursday, officials said.

According to William Villamizar, the governor of the Norte de Santander department, civilians were displaced due to the violent incident and it is estimated that “more than 80 people have lost their lives” by Sunday.

Residents spooked by the violence fled the area over the weekend on motorbikes, carrying backpacks and belongings in boats, or sitting in open trucks. Hundreds fled their villages due to economic and political upheaval and took refuge in the city of Tibu, while some crossed the border and reached Venezuela.

The Colombian government said Venezuela had launched a “special operation to assist those displaced by Colombia.”

Giovanni Valero, a 45-year-old farmer who fled to Venezuela, said, “As a Colombian citizen, leaving my country is painful for me.” The displaced people hope that the situation in Catatumbo will be resolved and they can return.

After being elected in 2022, President Gustavo Petro began negotiations with the ELN and other armed groups that still control parts of Colombia.

He had announced on Friday that he had suspended talks with the ELN group, accusing them of ‘war crimes’ during the latest spate of unrest. Agency