PBI-Colombia amplifies ASCAMCAT statement about violence by armed groups in Catatumbo

Published by Brent Patterson on January 21, 2025January 21, 2025

Video still: ASCAMCAT is among the organizations calling on the ELN and FARC to respect grassroots organizations in Catatumbo.

The Washington Post reports: “More than 80 people have been killed, and more than 11,000 displaced, in ongoing clashes between armed groups in Colombia, officials say, marking one of the deadliest waves of violence since the country’s 2016 peace accords.”

That article further reports: “The escalated fighting between rival guerrilla groups in Catatumbo, a northeast coca-growing region near the Venezuelan border, delivers a devastating blow to the ‘total peace’ program of the country’s first leftist president, Gustavo Petro. It could also fuel tensions with the administration of President Donald Trump, whose allies have been critical of Petro’s approach to the country’s conflict and his inability to control the surging levels of cocaine production across Colombia.”

El Colombiano notes: “The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that among the deceased are seven peace signatories, as well as social leader Carmelo Guerrero, who was part of the Association for Peasant Unity of Catatumbo (Asuncat).”

PBI-Colombia has previously explained: “For decades Catatumbo has been the epicenter of sociopolitical violence and armed conflict.”

“The 2016 signature of the Peace Agreement brought hope of peace and a dignified life for the communities. However, the lack of its comprehensive implementation has obstructed addressing the armed conflict’s structural causes and has left communities at the mercy of intensifying violence.”

It adds: “The Luis Carlos Pérez Lawyers Collective (CCALCP)—a group of women lawyers and human rights defenders with 22 years of experience defending human rights—is one of the organizations that accompanies the Catatumbo Peasant Association (ASCAMCAT) and the peasant communities of Catatumbo, whom they represent through strategic litigation to demand compliance with the Peace Agreement.”

This week, PBI-Colombia reposted this tweet by ASCAMCAT:

“#ATTENTION: The social organizations of Catatumbo ASCAMCAT, CISCA [the Committee of Social Integration in Catatumbo], MCP and ASUNCAT supported by more than 120 organizations with the accompaniment of @DefensoriaCol [the Ombudsman’s Office] of the country, address a public letter to @DelegacionEln [National Liberation Army] and EMB 33 Farc front of Catatumbo [a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] to respect the 7 humanitarian minimums and request a public statement of respect to the grassroots organizations and their leaders for their humanitarian social work in the Catatumbo region #SOSCatatumbo.”

“From @ccalcp we support the clamor of the communities of #Catatumbo.”

State of siege declared

The City Paper Bogota now reports: “President Gustavo Petro has declared a state of siege in Colombia, responding to the intensifying violence in the Catatumbo region, where clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents have displaced over 11,000 people and left an estimated 100 dead. Petro’s declaration marks the first time in 17 years that a Colombian president has invoked emergency powers, underscoring the gravity of the internal security situation.”

That article adds: “The state of siege, formally known as a state of internal disturbance, grants the government extraordinary powers to restore public order. These include suspending laws, restricting citizens’ movement, imposing curfews, and other measures deemed necessary. The decree is initially valid for 90 days but can be extended twice, with the second extension requiring congressional approval.”

We continue to follow this situation.