The Human Rights Watch has reported that more than 56,000 people have been displaced in Colombia’s resource-rich Catatumbo region since January, accusing rebel fighters of executions, forced labor, and child recruitment. Armed groups are vying for control of the region near the Venezuelan border and committing significant human rights abuses, including the execution of unarmed civilians and the forced recruitment of children into labor camps. The Colombian government has been urged to accelerate investigations into at least 78 homicides reported in January and February, following the collapse of a truce between rival armed factions. The report is based on interviews with 65 individuals, including displaced residents and humanitarian workers. The location’s proximity to Venezuela, a key corridor for drug trafficking, is considered a strategic importance for the National Liberation Army (ELN). The Colombian government suspended peace talks with the ELN on January 20 and President Gustavo Petro has accused the group’s leadership of abandoning their revolutionary ideals and becoming drug traffickers. The human rights organization has called for more prosecutors and investigators in Catatumbo to address the violence.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/26/rebel-group-committing-widespread-abuses-in-colombias-catatumbo-region-says-ngo