According to Major General Giovanni Rodríguez, commander of the Second Division of the Colombian Army, the deployment aims to strengthen security in the region and neutralize violent confrontations between the two armed groups.
The National Army of Colombia deployed a contingent of three hundred men to the Catatumbo region to confront the growing violence due to the war between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the FARC dissidents, specifically the Residual Organized Armed Group (GAO). -r) of structure 33.
The area, historically affected by the presence of illegal armed groups, has been the scene of intense clashes that have left fatalities and a climate of growing insecurity, review Infobae.
According to Major General Giovanni Rodríguez, commander of the Army’s Second Division, the deployment aims to strengthen security in the region and neutralize violent confrontations between the two armed groups.
In his statements, Rodríguez detailed that the operation seeks to protect the civilian population and stabilize the territory, emphasizing the protection functions and the strengthening of military bases in the area.
“We have made an operational deployment with approximately 300 men who represent the functions of conducting the protection war through strengthening the capabilities of the bases,” stated the commander.
This measure seeks, first of all, to neutralize the hostilities that have affected the region, especially the murders and injuries caused by the clashes between the GAO-r and the ELN.
*Read also: Petro suspends dialogue with the ELN after “war crimes” that left more than 30 dead
Catatumbo has been a focus of violent confrontations in recent monthswith armed groups fighting for territorial control and drug trafficking routes in the strategic border region with Venezuela. These clashes have caused fatalities and forced displacement of local populations.
In addition, Rodríguez indicated that the Army has had to implement additional measures to care for the wounded during combat, including the creation of aeromedical evacuation routes. Thanks to the support of the Air Force, the Army has been able to transfer injured people in the most affected sectors, such as El Tarra and Oru.
“Since yesterday, at the request of the PMU and authorized by our General Commander of the Military Forces, we have carried out the aeromedical evacuation of an injured person in El Tarra, his companion, as well as two more people in the Oru sector,” Rodríguez reported.
Humanitarian crisis and presidential condemnation
On social networks, residents of Catatumbo have shared images that show the impact of the clashes in the region’s hamlets. Communities seek refuge in their homes to protect themselves from the crossfire between ELN forces and EMC dissidents.
According to an audio message released by Andrey Avendaño, commander of the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents, the ELN has launched direct attacks against its units, which has resulted in the death of unarmed civilians.
“They have killed civilians, unarmed people,” said Avendaño, who blamed the ELN for the attacks. These statements add to the complaints of local authorities and the Ombudsman’s Office, which have warned about the serious impact on the civilian population in this region historically hit by violence.
The Ombudsman, Iris Marín, described the situation in Catatumbo as “extremely serious” and explained that in addition to the fatalities, there have been kidnappings, forced displacements and confinements of vulnerable populations.
“It is urgent to prioritize humanitarian actions to protect the population,” said Marín, who also called on the ELN to respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and immediately stop attacks against the civilian population.
In the midst of this crisis, Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the actions of the ELN and suspended peace talks with this armed group. “What the ELN has committed in Catatumbo are war crimes. The dialogue process with this group is suspended, the ELN has no desire for peace,” Petro expressed through his social networks.
The Catatumbo region, strategically located in the department of Norte de Santander and bordering Venezuela, has historically been one of the most conflictive points in the country.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content is being published taking into consideration the threats and limits that have consequently been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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