Colombia: Humanitarian Caravan Goes to Arauca

Since early 2022, reports against violent events perpetrated by irregular groups and the worsening of the war, forcing the forced and massive displacement of communities, forced recruitment of children, threats and assassinations of social leaders, have been increasing.

RELATED:
Uribe Manipulates Colombian Elections To Execute A Coup: Petro

The risks for the civilian population with the strengthening of the State’s military presence are also added.

In a recent interview, Camilo González, director of the Institute for Peace and Development Studies (INDEPAZ), told Prensa Latina that what is happening in Arauca is a dispute over the territory that seems to be, as a first resort, a confrontation between groups of the National Liberation Army (ELN) with residual dissidents from the peace process.

But the reality is that there is a border problem there, because it is a strip of land where there are not only armed groups, but also it is an area where there are many interests in the trafficking of products, oil and diverse wealth, Gonzalez said.

In view of the serious situation in Arauca and the border with Venezuela, the communities and several organizations in northeastern Colombia are calling for the cessation of hostilities between the armed forces and have also formulated proposals for the transformation of the conflict in the area.

PBIacompaña to Ccajar in humanitarian caravan for life, peace and permanence in the territory in Arauca ,where organizations defending DDHH and victims meet to propose measures and guarantees in the face of armed conflict. Urgent humanitarian agreements.

According to Camilo González, director of the Institute for Peace and Development Studies (INDEPAZ), the events in Arauca are a dispute over the territory that is indicated to be the confrontation between groups of the National Liberation Army (ELN) with residual dissidents from the peace process. Actually, it is a border problem because of an area with interests in the trafficking of products, oil, and diverse wealth.

The main act of violence this year occurred on January 19, when at least 5 social organizations and 56 of their members were victims of a car bomb attack, which left one person dead and 15 wounded. The escalation of the conflict in Arauca has also left about 2 400 people displaced, of whom 52 people are demobilized or signatories of the peace agreement between the FARC and the Colombian government, and 4 people kidnapped.

As the situation continues to worsen without a foresees of a soon solution to the conflict in  Arauca and the border with Venezuela, the communities and several organizations in northeastern Colombia are calling for the end of hostilities between the armed forces, creating proposals for the de-escalation of the conflict in the area.