Colombia Declares Emergency as Guerrilla Violence Escalates

Overview

• More than 80 people have been killed and over 18,000 displaced in Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region due to clashes between the ELN and FARC dissidents.
• The violence marks one of the deadliest periods since the 2016 peace accords and undermines President Gustavo Petro's 'total peace' initiative.
• The ELN, accused of targeting civilians and former FARC combatants, has been blamed for house-to-house killings and massacres, though the group denies responsibility for some attacks.
• Control over cocaine production, extortion rackets, and strategic smuggling routes along the Colombian-Venezuelan border are key drivers of the conflict.
• Petro has suspended peace talks with the ELN, declared a state of emergency, and vowed military action, further straining relations with Venezuela, which has been accused of supporting the ELN.