More than 80 people died in northeastern Colombia after government attempts to hold peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) collapsed, according to AP News.
Twenty more people were injured in violence during evacuations on Sunday, said William Villamizar, governor of North Santander. Among the victims were community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people who were trying to sign a peace agreement.
Officials said the attacks occurred near the border with Venezuela, with at least three people taking part in peace talks abducted. Thousands of people are fleeing the Catatumbo region, some hiding in nearby mountains or seeking help in government shelters.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Iván Velásquez travelled to the northeastern town of Cúcuta, where he held several security meetings and called on armed groups to demobilise. Officials also prepared 10 tonnes of food and hygiene kits for about 5,000 people in the communities of Ocaña and Tibú.
The attack came after Colombia suspended peace talks with the ELN for a second time on Friday. The Colombian government demanded that the ELN cease all attacks and allow authorities to enter the region and provide humanitarian aid.
In Catatumbo, the ELN clashed with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which broke up after signing a peace deal with the Colombian government in 2016. Both groups are contesting for control of a strategic border region where coca leaf plantations are located.
Reacting to the attack, Army Commander General Luis Emilio Cardozo SantamarÃa said on Saturday that authorities were reinforcing a humanitarian corridor between Cúcuta and Tibú for the safe passage of those forced to flee their homes. The general added that special urban troops had also been sent to municipal capitals “where there are risks and a lot of fear.”
