A new violent action marred the Christmas celebration in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander, when a woman was seriously injured after an attack with a drone loaded with explosives while she was inside her home in a rural area of the municipality of Tibú.
The attack occurred on the morning of this Tuesday, December 24, in the middle of Christmas, in a corridor that connects with El Tarra, one of the areas hardest hit by the armed conflict in this subregion of the country.
The event has generated deep concern among the peasant communities and social leaders of Catatumbo.
The situation in the territory continues to deteriorate rapidly. In the last few hours, at least 11 families have been forced to leave their homes in the rural area of Tibú and move to Cúcuta, the capital of the department, in search of humanitarian care and security guarantees.
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These families join hundreds of people who, in recent months, have left their communities for fear of being trapped in the middle of fighting between illegal armed groups that are vying for territorial control of the region.
Ombudsman warns: ceasefires are insufficient
The Ombudsman’s Office reiterated its concern about the impact that the clashes between illegal armed groups are having on the civilian population of Catatumbo.
The entity warned that the ceasefires announced by both the ELN and the dissidents of the 33rd Front are insufficient, since they do not contemplate the suspension of hostilities between these groups, which are precisely those that most affect civilians.
“This displacement that occurs today in Catatumbo shows why the ceasefires are very limited. A serious and real risk factor for the population is not only the hostilities between the Public Force and armed groups, but especially the clashes between illegal organizations,” stated the Ombudsman’s Office.
The explosive drone attack in the middle of the Christmas celebration highlights the sophistication of the armed groups operating in the region and the vulnerability of the civilian population, which is trapped in the middle of a war that does not give truce even on special dates.
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