At least 80 people have been killed, 20 injured and thousands have been forced from their homes in northeastern Colombia by the fighting. Clashes broke out after a truce broke down between armed groups fighting for control of coca plantations near the border with Venezuela. About this informs Euronews.
Clashes have escalated in the Catatumbo region between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which disbanded in 2016 after signing a peace deal with the government.
The fighting began after the Colombian government announced on Friday that it was ending peace talks with the ELN, accusing the group of “war crimes” and a lack of readiness for peace. This is the second termination of negotiations in the last year.
Last week’s victims included community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people trying to reach a peace deal. The army of Colombia began to evacuate citizens.
“Catatumbo needs help. Boys, girls, young people, teenagers, whole families show up with nothing, drive trucks, dump trucks, motorcycles, everything they can, on foot, so as not to become victims of this confrontation.” said William Villamizar, governor of northern Santander, where many people died.
