60 killed in Colombia guerilla violence

3 weeks ago 12

TIBÚ: The decease toll from attacks by ELN rebels successful Colombia has risen to 60 successful the country’s restive Catatumbo portion adjacent the borderline with Venezuela, officials said Saturday.

Rival groups person for years been warring successful the portion implicit power of the cocaine trade.

Fighting successful caller days pitted rebels from the left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN) -- the biggest of the equipped groups inactive progressive successful Colombia -- against dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The authorities signed a bid woody with FARC successful 2016, aft much than 50 years of war.

The ELN had besides clashed with the Clan del Golfo, a right-wing paramilitary unit turned trafficking pack which is the country’s largest cocaine cartel.

“There is simply a precise captious concern successful this portion of the country,“ subject commandant General Luis Emilio Cardozo said Saturday.

The “break” of a truce betwixt the ELN and FARC dissidents has caused “significant interaction connected the civilian population,“ helium said successful a video published by the subject connected X.

“They person taken radical from their homes and murdered them successful a miserable way, violating each quality rights of the people. It is up to america arsenic the nationalist service to stabilize the territory,“ Cardozo said, addressing hundreds of troops deployed successful the region.

Govt suspends bid talks

After helium was elected successful 2022, President Gustavo Petro launched negotiations with the ELN and different equipped groups that inactive power parts of Colombia connected a committedness to prosecute “total peace.”

But helium paused the already-sputtering process with the ELN connected Friday during the caller question of unrest, accusing the radical of committing “war crimes.”

Around 60 radical person been killed crossed Catatumbo, Colombia’s Ombudsman Office said precocious Saturday, portion immoderate residents were “taking refuge successful the mountains” to flight the violence.

“Many people, including bid signatories, societal leaders and their families, and adjacent children, look a peculiar hazard of being kidnapped oregon killed,“ the bureau said.

Affected communities were besides opening to endure from nutrient shortages, the bureau said, calling connected the equipped groups to let entree to humanitarian assistance and cease each attacks against civilians.

For its part, the ELN pointed the digit astatine the FARC dissidents.

“The Catatumbo portion knows good that we had warned that if the 33rd Front of the ex-FARC continued attacking the colonisation and failing to comply with commitments, determination was nary different mode retired than equipped confrontation,“ it said successful a connection published connected X.

‘We are precise afraid’

With a unit of astir 5,800 combatants, the ELN is 1 of the biggest equipped groups inactive progressive successful Colombia.

While claiming to beryllium driven by leftist and nationalist ideology, the ELN is profoundly progressive successful the cause commercialized and has go 1 of the region’s astir almighty organized transgression groups.

Talks with the ELN broke down for respective months past twelvemonth aft the radical launched a deadly onslaught connected a subject base.

Following the latest circular of fighting, the president said the ELN “shows nary willingness to marque peace” successful a station connected X.

More than 2,500 radical person fled the unit to Tibu, the town’s politician Richar Claro said Saturday.

Temporary shelters were opened astir Tibu to location displaced people, who arrived successful flat-bed trucks oregon cramped connected motorbikes, with immoderate carrying household belongings connected their backs.

“We are precise acrophobic for the children and that we volition beryllium caught successful the mediate of the conflict,“ Carmelina Perez, 62, who had escaped with her grandchildren, told AFP.

Across the border, Venezuela announced the motorboat of “a peculiar cognition to assistance the civilian colonisation displaced from Colombia,“ according to a authorities statement.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil told authorities tv that “hundreds of families” person been forced to instrumentality refuge successful Venezuela.

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