Colombia vows 'war' on leftist guerrillas after 100 killed
Kyiv • UNN
Colombia has declared a state of emergency due to violence between guerrilla groups, which has led to the death of 100 people. The authorities deployed 5,000 troops and evacuated almost 20,000 people from three departments.
Colombia on Monday vowed to declare "war" on leftist guerrillas, declaring a state of emergency and deploying thousands of soldiers to contain violence that has killed at least 100 people and threatens to derail the fragile peace process in the country, UNN reports citing France 24.
Details
In just five days, bloodshed was recorded in three departments of Colombia, from the remote Amazon jungle in the south to the mountainous northeastern border with Venezuela, where fighting has displaced nearly 20,000 people.
Analysts say the surge in violence was triggered by a war for spheres of influence between rival militias that see the stalled peace process as a threat to their unity and their lucrative cocaine trade.
President Gustavo Petro, who has so far relied on a strategy of de-escalation and dialogue, has made it clear that the crisis will lead to a change in policy.
On Monday, he issued a warning to the leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN), which is said to be behind attacks on rival leftist groups in the border region that have killed 80 people.
"The ELN has chosen the path of war, and they will have war," Petro said, before locally declaring a state of ‘internal unrest’ and "economic emergency.
These statements give local authorities the ability to restrict the movement of people, among other measures.
About 5,000 troops have already been deployed to the border area in hopes of containing one of the worst acts of violence Colombia has seen in recent years.
Throughout the weekend, frightened residents carried backpacks and belongings on motorcycles and boats or crammed into the backs of open trucks to flee the border region.
Colombian military General Eric Rodriguez said that more than 19,800 people have already gathered in shelters in Tibu and other cities.
Others have crossed the border into Venezuela - for some, it is a return to the country from which they fled economic and political turmoil.
On Monday, Colombia's Defense Ministry also reported that 20 people were killed in fighting between rival leftist groups in the jungles of the Amazonian department of Guavari.
The clashes involved splinter groups of the FARC - leftist guerrillas who, unlike the remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, did not sign peace agreements.
The clashes were a serious test for Petro, who has supported a policy of "complete peace" since his election in 2022.
Faced with fierce resistance, he began negotiations with various hard-line armed groups that still control parts of Colombia.
Critics argue that his "conciliatory" approach has emboldened groups deeply involved in organized crime and allowed them to increase their power and influence.
Addendum
According to the publication, Colombia has enjoyed almost a decade of relative peace, but parts of the country are still controlled by various leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug cartels.
The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC was seen as a turning point in the sixty-year conflict between Colombian security forces, guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and drug traffickers that has killed nearly half a million people.
However, dissident groups continue to control territory in several parts of Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producer, the newspaper notes.
