Colombia’s Petro declares “State of Siege” over Catatumbo violence

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President Gustavo Petro in San Andrés on the day of the kidnapping of 79 Colombian policemen. Photo: Presidencia
President Gustavo Petro in San Andrés on the day of the kidnapping of 79 Colombian policemen. Photo: Presidencia

President Gustavo Petro has declared a state of siege in Colombia, responding to the intensifying violence in the Catatumbo region, where clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents have displaced over 11,000 people and left an estimated 100 dead. Petro’s declaration marks the first time in 17 years that a Colombian president has invoked emergency powers, underscoring the gravity of the internal security situation.

Through his account on the social media platform X, Petro lashed out at the ELN, accusing the guerrilla group of abandoning its revolutionary ideals and transforming into a drug trafficking cartel. “The ELN has chosen the path of war, and that’s what they will get,” Petro declared, adding that the group “has lost its intelligence.” He further stated, “The revolution can only be made with the people and without violence.”

The state of siege, formally known as a state of internal disturbance, grants the government extraordinary powers to restore public order. These include suspending laws, restricting citizens’ movement, imposing curfews, and other measures deemed necessary. The decree is initially valid for 90 days but can be extended twice, with the second extension requiring congressional approval.

“The military occupation will always be accompanied by the economic transformation of the regions under violence,” Petro emphasized on social media. As the military intensifies its operations against the proliferation of illegal armed groups in the Catatumbo, special forces have been deployed to urban areas in a last ditch attempt to restore some degree of order in a territory that acts as a strategic corridor for drug trafficking.

The northeastern department of Norte de Santander, particularly the Catatumbo region bordering Venezuela, has become a battleground as the ELN and FARC dissidents vie for control of the lucrative drug trade. The Defensoría del Pueblo reports that over 11,000 people have been displaced, including 4,000 who have sought refuge in the departmental capital, Cúcuta. Other vulnerable populations are seeking refuge in the towns of Ocaña and Tibú.

The death toll continues to rise, with more than 100 confirmed fatalities, including civilians, former FARC combatants, and community leaders. Local reports suggest that the ELN has been targeting peace accord signatories, forcibly removing them from their homes and executing them. Among the dead are Miguel Ángel López, a respected funeral home owner in Tibú, who was killed along with his wife, Zulay Durán, and their infant son, for defying orders from the ELN guerrilla. The surviving 10-year-old child from the family joins the growing number of war orphans in Colombia.

Former President Juan Manuel Santos, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for the 2016 Final  Accord with FARC, called for intensified implementation of security guarantees for peace signatories and community leaders. “It is imperative and urgent to implement the peace accord with more vigor and effectiveness,” Santos emphasized.

On Monday, as Donald Trump became the 47th President of the United States, President Petro accepted the resignation of Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and his Minister of Information and Technology Mauricio Lizcano. In order for Petro to enact a “State of Siege” as well as an “Economic Emergency” he would have needed the authorization from all members of his cabinet.