Colombians weigh returning home after rebel violence
Tibu, Colombia Reuters Residents of Colombia’s troubled Catatumbo region, near the eastern border with Venezuela, are weighing whether to return home after attacks by a rebel group displaced at least 50,000 people over several weeks. The government has accused rebels from the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) of targeting former members of the now-demobilised Revolutionary […]
Search for the missing: In Colombia, former enemies now seek loved ones and dream of peace
MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ, of Associated Press, reports on the ongoing quest to find the victims of 50 years of armed conflict in the South American nation…
Colombia reissues rebel arrest warrants, displacement rises to 32,000 amid fighting
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Colombia’s AttorneyGgeneral’s office on Wednesday reissued arrest warrants for leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, who had been participating in peace talks, as forced displacement caused by ELN attacks rose to 32,000 people. A sharp uptick in violence over the past week in the Catatumbo region, an area along the […]
Rebel violence in the Colombian jungle leaves 20 dead
Bogota, Colombia Reuters At least 20 Colombian fighters from rival rebel factions were killed in weekend clashes over control of a strategic jungle area for drug trafficking, military sources and the human rights ombudsman office reported on Monday. The clashes pitted opposing factions from what was once the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) against […]
Deaths in Colombia rebel violence double to 60, ombudsman says
Bogota, Colombia Reuters The death toll from rebel-related violence in a key drug trafficking region of Colombia has doubled to 60, the government’s human rights ombudsman said on Saturday. The ombudsman’s office posted on social media that about 60 people have died violently, 32 were kidnapped and hundreds were displaced due to conflict in recent […]
Essay: After the brutal murder of an entire family, will Colombia finally recognise the dangers faced by religious leaders across the country?
ELLIS HEASLEY, of UK-based religious freedom advocacy CSW, says Colombis must recognise and respond to the specific risks faced by religious leaders who play a key role in peacemaking across the country…
Colombia armed groups used peace talks to build strength, military commander says
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Colombia’s illegal armed groups have taken advantage of the government’s pursuit of peace to strengthen themselves militarily and economically, the commander of the country’s armed forces said on Monday. The government of President Gustavo Petro has since 2022 pursued peace negotiations with leftist guerrillas and criminal gangs founded by former right-wing paramilitaries, […]
Colombia government says it will not unilaterally end ELN peace talks
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Colombia’s government will not unilaterally end peace talks with rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN), its peace delegation said on Thursday, even though a ceasefire between the two sides expired earlier this month. Vera Grabe, head of the government’s delegation, and Senator Ivan Cepeda, said it was up to the rebel […]
Colombia armed forces restart military operations against ELN rebels
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Colombia’s armed forces have restarted operations against leftist rebel group the National Liberation Army (ELN), Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez said on Monday. The decision to restart military operations comes after a six-month ceasefire between the two sides ended on Saturday. Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez looks on during a press conference at […]
Colombia’s illegal armed groups grew in 2023 – secret security report
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Colombia’s four main illegal armed groups grew during 2023 as they consolidated territorial control financed by drug trafficking and illicit gold extraction, according to a secret security report seen by Reuters. The report focused on leftist guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN), crime gang the Clan del Golfo and two dissident […]