A humanitarian operation allowed eleven people, who had been deprived of their liberty by the National Liberation Army (ELN) since January of this year, to return to their families in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander.

The release took place on Saturday, November 29, with the mediation of the Ombudsman’s Office, the Catholic Church and the UN Mission in Colombia. Among those released are nine men, one of them a signatory of the Peace Agreement and a participant in the reintegration program, and two women, including a Venezuelan citizen. According to the Ombudsman’s Office, all people were in good health at the time of delivery.

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The majority of those released are residents of rural areas of the municipalities of Tibú and El Tarra, areas that have been the epicenter of clashes between the ELN and the FARC dissidents since the beginning of 2025. So far, no details have been known about the reasons behind the kidnapping or the exact places where they were held.

Despite this release, other people in the region continue to be held by illegal armed groups, and it is expected that in the coming days new humanitarian deliveries can be made under the same institutional coordination.

Eleven people who had been held by the ELN since January were released in Catatumbo in January of this year.

These are 9 men—one of them a signatory of the Peace Agreement and a participant in the reintegration program—and 2 women, including a Venezuelan citizen.…

— Ombudsman (@DefensoriaCol) November 28, 2025