Colombians displaced by the armed conflict in Catatumbo arrive in Venezuela. Photo: AFP.
At least 218 displaced Colombians fleeing the armed conflict in the Catatumbo region were received in the municipality of JesĂşs MarĂa SemprĂşn, Zulia state, Venezuela, located in the border zone with the Colombian Catatumbo and TibĂş.
Clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and a faction of the dissidents of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the Catatumbo region have forced hundreds of people to flee from their homes. The displaced people who arrived on Friday, January 17, by canoe on the Catatumbo River said that these events remind them of the massacres of 1999, when Venezuela had also welcomed the displaced in solidarity.
To assist these people, the Venezuelan government has set up three checkpoints under the supervision of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB).
Following instructions from President Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan government has activated a special operation, through Civil Protection, in the municipalities of JesĂşs MarĂa SemprĂşn (Zulia) and GarcĂa de Hevia (Táchira), with the aim of assisting the civilian population “forced to escape the terrible armed violence that has plagued them,” announced Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil on Saturday, January 18.
Among the displaced are Colombians, Colombian-Venezuelans, and many Venezuelans who lived on the other side of the border. Telesur correspondent Madelein GarcĂa reported seeing at least three canoes arriving with people carrying their belongings, their children, and their pets.
At the reception point on the Catatumbo River, they receive water and food, and then go to a medical care point. The communities in the border region have also mobilized to provide food to the displaced.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil reported that over the weekend there has been an increase in violence in the Colombian border municipalities, with clashes among armed groups, which has caused a mass exodus of Colombian families who, in search of shelter and security, have crossed into Venezuela.
Minister Gil reiterated Venezuela’s commitment to solidarity with Colombia, offering help to those who suffer the consequences of violence in the country. In this regard, he added that Venezuela, “faithful to its commitment to brotherhood and solidarity with the Colombian people and government, will always be willing to provide the humanitarian support required by the people repeatedly affected by the scourge of war in the sister nation.”
The situation in the Colombian Catatumbo region remains critical, which has turned Venezuela into a temporary refuge for those seeking to escape the conflict.
More than 80 dead
On Thursday, Colombian authorities first reported armed clashes between the ELN and a FARC dissident group in the Catatumbo region in the Norte de Santander department of Colombia, bordering Venezuela. Since then, the ongoing clashes have claimed the lives of several peace signatories and civilians.
This situation has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region, which for several years has been affected by the activities of armed groups and drug-trafficking gangs.
According to the reports of the governor of Norte de Santander, William Villamizar, to date more than 80 people have been killed in the clashes, while the number of wounded exceeds 20. Some 5,000 people have been displaced, who have fled to the border municipalities of Tibú, Ocaña, and Cúcuta or have crossed into Venezuela.
In response, the Colombian Army announced on Saturday that it would send 300 soldiers to the affected region.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, reported the evacuation of the threatened civilian personnel and peace accord signatories, with the support of the Colombian Army.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
