The conflict engulfing the Catatumbo, Colombia’s northeastern region along the Venezuelan border, has reached alarming levels, exposing a confluence of violence, humanitarian catastrophe, and geopolitical maneuvers. The sudden militarization of the Venezuelan border by Maduro combined with the growing strength of the ELN (National Liberation Army), has prompted sharp criticism from Colombian leaders and raised questions about Venezuela’s role in the region’s destabilization.
President Gustavo Petro has labeled the collapse of order as a “failure of the nation,” reflecting the ELN’s alarming territorial expansion. “How has the ELN moved from Arauca to Norte de Santander?” Petro questioned, signaling the group’s surprising resurgence in areas previously deemed beyond their grasp. The ELN’s foothold in Catatumbo coincides with fierce clashes against dissident FARC factions for control over lucrative drug trafficking corridors, deepening the region’s humanitarian crisis.
Maduro ordered on Tuesday the deployment of over 2,000 troops to the border, ostensibly to address the surge in violence and aid over 32,000 displaced Colombians fleeing Catatumbo. His rhetoric of providing “peace, stability, and tranquility” is being met with deep skepticism. Critics argue the military presence serves as a facade for supporting the ELN and safeguarding drug trafficking routes vital to Maduro’s illegitimate regime.
“This deployment is not about peace,” said former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez. “It’s about securing a narco-state’s interests, using the ELN as their armed arm to dominate Colombian territory.” He further accused Maduro’s administration of being complicit in massacres that have terrorized local communities.
Reports from the Catatumbo reveal a dire humanitarian situation. The clashes between armed groups have resulted in en estimated 100 deaths, with morgues in towns like Ocaña and Tibú overwhelmed. “We’re running out of space,” remarked one health worker in a Tibú hospital. “Bodies are arriving faster than we can process them.” Local officials have urgently requested mobile refrigeration units to handle the surge in casualties.
The crisis has reignited tensions between Colombian political factions. Former President Andrés Pastrana joined the criticism, asserting, “The ELN’s mobilization into Catatumbo has all the signs of an invasion with Maduro’s approval.” Pastrana urged Petro for strong diplomatic measures, including recalling Colombia’s ambassador to Venezuela. Right-wing Senator María Fernanda Cabal expressed outrage over the situation, stating, “Maduro’s regime has been exporting violence and chaos for years, and now we see its full impact on Catatumbo. It’s time for the international community to intervene.”
Since Maduro’s sham inauguration on January 10, the Colombian Government’s agenda toward Venezuela has morphed from sour diplomacy to inaction. In a recent press conference, Petro said, “Venezuela cannot be both a guarantor of peace (with ELN) and a contributor to violence. This contradiction must be resolved to achieve true stability in the border regions.” On Wednesday, Colombia’s Attorney General reactivated the arrest warrants for 31 ELN commanders, warrants that had been suspended to facilitate peace talks in Caracas.
While geopolitics takes center stage, the human cost is devastating. The Catatumbo region is grappling with forced displacement not witnessed in the country in over two decades, as well as a lack of shelters and resources. “There are children who haven’t eaten in days,” said Ana Suárez, a community leader in El Tarra. We need food, water, and medical supplies now.”
Medical facilities are overburdened, with the occupancy rate in one Cúcuta hospital exceeding 80%. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has begun assessments in the area, but relief efforts lag far behind the needs of the displaced. “The scale of the crisis is unprecedented,” noted the agency. “Immediate international support is critical.”
The crisis has also imploded President Petro’s “Total Peace” agenda, as confirmed by Colombia’s Interior Minister, Juan Fernando Cristo. “We will not have success with Total Peace. This much is true,” he said.
Venezuela, a host nation in negotiations with the ELN, now faces scrutiny as its illegitimate regime has no support among other Latin American countries. Following the ELN’s attacks in Catatumbo and targeted assassinations of demobilized FARC combatants, Petro suspended peace talks with the terrorist organization. Maduro’s most recent statements show a direct involvement in the Catatumbo crisis has raised broader concerns about his ambitions to wield influence over Colombian territory through armed proxies.
Maduro’ military movement recalls President Putin’s illegal occupation of Ukraine. And Venezuelan air and ground exercises in the border state of Zulia, led by the Chavista henchman Diosdado Cabello increasingly prove that Maduro is exploiting the chaos to dominate the drug trade under the veiled threat of “peace and sovereignty.” If Maduro’s affirmation that his Minister of Interior, Diosdado Cabello, “is supporting the Colombian people inside the Catabumbo” – his presence in the country would be a direct violation of Colombia’s sovereignty.
The violence and displacement in Catatumbo underscore the fragile state of Colombia’s border security and the potential to draw in direct U.S. interference with the new Donald Trump administration. The region’s strategic importance – home to fertile drug routes and a hub for illicit economies – places it at the center of a high-stakes battle for control. But the Catatumbo isn’t the only territory in Colombia that has fallen into the hands of the ELN. Recent attacks in the departments of Guaviare and Arauca by the Maoist guerrilla could amplify the internal conflict, generating more chaos and suffering for vulnerable populations.
As morgues overflow and communities empty under the weight of violence, these questions remain unanswered: Is Maduro’s regime using the ELN to establish a foothold in Colombia, exploiting the chaos to dominate the drug trade? Is Maduro following Putin’s playbook on territorial expansion by proxy? And can direct military action in the Catatumbo lead to the resolution of this crisis that now threatens the very future of the Petro government and democracy in Colombia?