Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Violence in eastern Colombia has left 130 dead this year, UN says

Violence in eastern Colombia has left 130 dead this year, UN says

Some 130 people have been killed and more than 3,000 have been forcibly displaced this year as violence has surged in eastern Colombia, according to the United Nations and the Catholic Church.

The institutions have called on armed groups to stop the violence and respect international humanitarian law in a joint statement published Wednesday, after officials visited the Colombian region of Arauca, which borders Venezuela.

"During the visit, the representatives met with authorities, civil society and human rights organizations, and expressed solidarity with the communities, victims, civil society organisations and institutions suffering from the situation of violence in the region," the statement said.

Fighting erupted between the National Liberation Army -- the largest leftist guerrilla group in the country, known by its Spanish acronym ELN -- and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in the early hours of January 2, according to Colombia's ombudsman Carlos Camargo.

More than 20 people were killed in those clashes, according to a spokesperson from Colombia's Attorney General's Office.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) echoed the UN and Catholic Church's claims in a separate report released on Monday, saying fighting between ELN and dissident FARC forces in early 2022 had caused thousands to flee a "dramatic increase in violence" on the Colombia-Venezuela border.

HRW also accused Venezuelan armed forces of conducting joint operations with ELN guerrilla fighters against FARC dissidents in the border area in early 2022, contributing to the violence in the region.

The HRW report is based on interviews with more than 100 eyewitnesses and alleged victims.

"These testimonies show that the cooperation between the ELN and the Venezuelan security forces goes much further than previously reported," Juan Pappier, HRW's senior Americas researcher, and one of the authors of the report, said.

"Members of the Venezuelan forces are not just being tolerant to ELN abuses, they are participating in joint military operations where the guerrillas do the 'dirty work'," Pappier told CNN.

CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense for comment.

FARC and ELN started fighting each other in Arauca and the neighboring Venezuelan state of Apure in 2006.

The fighting stopped in 2010, at which point at least 868 people had been killed and 58,000 people had been displaced, according to a 2020 HRW report.

However this year has seen an uptick in violence as the groups compete for control of lucrative drug smuggling routes to the US and Europe.

Wreckage from a car bomb is seen in Saravena, Arauca, on January 20.


The renewed violence comes more than five years after the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with FARC, ending a 52-year armed conflict that killed up to 220,000 people and displaced as many as 5 million people.

Colombian President Ivan Duque vowed to stamp out the violence during his time in office, but it continues to plague rural areas, where peace was supposed to bring development and new opportunities.

Voters will choose a new president during elections scheduled for May, and many candidates have vowed to undo Duque's policies by changing Colombia's approach toward security.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×