At least 80 people have been killed in northeastern Colombia’s Catatumbo region following failed attempts at peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group. The violence, which began on Thursday, has forced thousands of people to flee the area, with over 5,000 displaced and two dozen injured.
The ELN attacked a rival group comprised of former FARC fighters in the region, leaving civilians trapped in the middle. Governor William Villamizar described the humanitarian situation as “alarming,” stating that community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people who sought to sign a peace deal were among the victims.
The Colombian government has sent over 5,000 soldiers to reinforce security in the area, with a humanitarian corridor established for safe passage of those forced to flee. The FARC disarmed under a 2016 peace deal, but violence involving leftist groups, including FARC holdouts and right-wing paramilitaries, persists.
The ELN has accused ex-FARC rebels of killings, including the January 15 slaying of a couple and their nine-month-old baby. President Gustavo Petro called off negotiations with the ELN in pursuit of “total peace” for the country following the latest violence.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/19/dozens-killed-in-northeast-colombia-as-eln-peace-talks-fail