Colombia’s president says ELN rebels will ‘get war’ as violence in the country’s northeast escalates

Colombia seeks to reassert control as rebel fighting kills over 100

Government sends troops into coca-rich northeast Catatumbo region in bid to quell hostilities among rebel groups.

Colombia’s President Will Declare an Emergency Over Deadly ELN Attacks in the Northeast

BOGOTA, Colombia—Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday that he will declare a state of emergency over the guerrilla attacks in the northeast that have killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee their homes. In a message on X, Petro said that he will “declare a state of internal commotion,” a measure that enables the executive branch to pass certain kinds of legislation without congressional approval for three months. The measur…

Factions of guerrilla groups and drug mafias are clashing.

“Why is the ELN today, a few months after it was very weak militarily speaking, strong?” , the left-wing president admitted that until Friday he was negotiating peace with the rebels.

Colombian forces edge into guerrilla strongholds

Colombian special forces edged into guerrilla-controlled territory near the border with Venezuela Tuesday, trying to reassert state control amid violence that has forced 20,000 people to flee their homes. The mountainous northeastern Catatumbo region has been the epicentre of a sudden surge in fighting between armed leftist groups vying for territory and control of lucrative coca plantations and trafficking routes. Over six days, the bloodshed h…

Due to the ongoing fighting between the ELN and splinter groups of the FARC, Colombia's president has declared a state of emergency. Thousands of people in the border region with Venezuela are now on the run.