Colombia’s Defence Minister Iván Velásquez has become the latest high-ranking cabinet member to step down, submitting an irrevocable resignation amid deepening insecurity across the country. His departure comes as Colombia’s armed forces have been defunded during the Petro administration, and steep budget cuts have grounded much of the country’s air defenses, including vital helicopter gunships used to combat drug trafficking and illegal armed groups.
The timing of Velásquez’s resignation is critical. With large areas of the country under the control of armed factions, the government’s ability to protect vulnerable populations is in question. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the western department of Chocó, where the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla is engaged in fierce territorial battles, forcing tens of thousands of civilians into confinement.
Violence in the Chocó has reached alarming levels as the ELN faces off against the paramilitary ‘Clan del Golfo’ for control over lucrative drug routes and strategic waterways. The most intense fighting is centered around the Río San Juan, a critical route for trade and illegal smuggling networks.
According to non-governmental organizations monitoring the crisis, over 50,000 people are now effectively trapped in their homes, unable to move due to the risk of crossfire and landmines. Reports indicate that at least 1,000 civilians have already been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in safer areas.
“The public order situation is worsening by the day,” warned a community leader in Itsmina, Chocó. “There are expectations that reinforcements will be sent to stabilize the region, but the military’s resources are stretched too thin.”
Similar outbreaks of violence have been reported in other regions, including Antioquia and Cesar, where the ELN, ‘Clan del Golfo,’ and FARC dissidents are embroiled in a brutal struggle for territorial dominance. In Risaralda, the Colombian Army’s 8th Field Artillery Battalion has been in combat with the ‘Clan del Golfo’ since early Monday. In La Paz, Cesar, clashes between the army and the ELN’s ‘Northern War Front’ have left multiple casualties.
The situation in Chocó has grown even more precarious following the planting of an unexploded ELN device in the main square of Río Iró, a small town in the east of the department. The explosive, left behind after an attack that killed police officer Yeison Yair Parra, remains in place days later, preventing children and families from using public spaces.
“We have an IED in the midst of civilians, and need to dispose of it once and for all,” a source told Chocó 7 Días. Due to hostilities, local authorities have been unable to neutralise the device, leaving residents in a state of anxiety and isolation.
Meanwhile, regional leaders have issued urgent calls for humanitarian intervention. Chocó’s governor, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, highlighted the severity of the displacement crisis, confirming that families have been forced to flee, while those who remain are enduring worsening conditions. “Once again, we will have to launch a humanitarian relief effort,” she stated on social media platform X.
As the crisis deepens, religious leaders have warned of devastating long-term consequences if violence continues unchecked. The Bishop of Istmina, one of the most affected areas, cautioned that the situation in Chocó could soon surpass the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander. “What’s happening in Catatumbo will be minor compared to this,” he said.
According to Bishop Mario de Jesús Álvarez, the mountains and rivers of Istmina, Medio San Juan, Nóvita, Sipí, and Litoral del San Juan “have become battlefields” where “criminal groups are planting explosive devices, issuing threats against civilians, and controlling movement along the waterways.” As the another humanitarian crisis unfolds, the church leader issued a stark warning: “If this is not stopped, the suffering will be immeasurable.”
With the government crippled by a cabinet crisis, the ELN has discarded any possibility of de-escalation and a failed “total peace” agenda has only strengthened territorial control of criminal organizations over key drug trafficking corridors.
The resignation of the Defence Minister now casts a serious doubt over Colombia’s ability to respond effectively to a deteriorating security situation. As Chocoanos endure yet another wave of displacement and terror, the need for direct military and humanitarian intervention cannot wait, especially with absentee Petro and a half-vacant govermment.
