House Representative Oscar Villamizar sued the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, for alleged omission of relief, aggravated homicide and forced displacement. In addition, he accused the government of not having intervened to prevent the situation, which has displaced more than 40,000 people.
(Read: National Army launches offensive against the ELN in Catatumbo).
Through his X account, Villamizar stated: “I filed a criminal complaint against the Minister of DefenseIván Velásquez, for allegedly having committed crimes of omission of relief, homicide and forced displacement, in the face of the serious crisis that Catatumbo is experiencing today. “This wave of violence and humanitarian crisis could have been prevented, but Velásquez decided to turn a blind eye.”
“What happens in Catatumbo is the chronicle of an announced war. The Ombudsman’s Office, on August 15 and November 15, 2024, classified what is happening today in Catatumbo as an imminent risk.”
The parliamentarian criticized Gustavo’s government Peter and Iván Velásquez for not having taken adequate measures to prevent the crisis.
(You can read: Internal commotion: the ABCs of the new measure adopted by the Petro government).
Iván Velásquez, Minister of Defense
Sergio Acero Yate / El Tiempo
Villamizar stressed that the GovernmentBy not intervening, he would have become an accomplice of the ELN guerrillas and the FARC dissidents. In his statement, he stated that more than 42,000 people have been displaced due to violence in the region.
On the other hand, the former Minister of Justice, Wilson Ruiz Orejuela, established before the Court Administrative Office of Cundinamarca a demand for compliance action, in order for the Government, headed by President Gustavo Petro and the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, to comply with the special measures to protect the communities in the areas of the country where seeks to advance in dialogues with the FARC dissidents.
(You can read: Internal commotion in Catatumbo: money will come from taxes on online gambling)
