2025 Catatumbo attacks

Attacks by the National Liberation Army in Colombia

2025 Catatumbo attacks

Part of Catatumbo campaign and Colombian conflict

The Norte de Santander Department of Colombia in red, where the Catatumbo region is located

Location| Catatumbo region, Norte de Santander, Colombia
Date| 16 January 2025 (2025-01-16) – ongoing
Deaths| 100+
Injured| 20+
Victims| FARC dissidents
Colombian civilians
Perpetrators|  National Liberation Army

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Colombian conflict

|  1960s

* Soberanía

1970s

* Anorí

1980s

* Dominican embassy siege
* Palace of Justice siege
* Yamurales
* Avianca Flight 203
* Massacre of Trujillo
* DAS Building bombing

1990s

* Traira
* Villatina massacre
* Bogota
* La Gabarra massacre
* Siege of Las Delicias
* Mapiripán massacre
* El Aro massacre
* Machuca massacre
* Siege of Mitú
* Villanueva massacre
* Nudo de Paramillo
* Gutiérrez
* Dabeiba

2000s

* "False positives" scandal
* Macayepo massacre
* Bojayá massacre
* Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis
* El Nogal bombing
* Neiva bombing
* 14 July
* Zona Rosa attacks
* Bahía Portete massacre
* JM
* San José de Apartadó massacre
* Sierra Macarena ambush
* Jamundí massacre
* Emmanuel
* Jaque
* Fenix
* Nariño massacres
* Strategic Leap
* Corinto

2010s

* Arauca attacks
* July clashes
* Meta raid
* Cauca attacks
* Centro Andino bombing
* Police station attacks
* Catatumbo campaign
* Bogotá car bombing

2020s

* Apure clashes
* Arauca clashes
* Huila attack
* Catatumbo attacks

See also

* Peace process
* Timeline

On 16 January 2025,  National Liberation Army (ELN) militants launched several attacks in the Catatumbo region[a] of Colombia, as part of the Catatumbo campaign. At least 100 people have been killed in the attacks, with others injured, kidnapped, and displaced.[1][2]

## Background

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See also: Catatumbo campaign

The Catatumbo campaign has been an ongoing period of strategic violence between militia faction groups in the region since January 2018 and a part of the war on drugs; it was developed after a 2016 peace agreement between the country's government (under the presidency of Juan Manuel Santos) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as an attempt to end the Colombian conflict. The existence of the campaign was officially announced in August 2019 after a Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigation. Colombian media reports that the campaign has directly affected an estimated 145,000 people,[3] with HRW estimating this at 300,000.[4]

## Attacks

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The assaults were perpetrated by the ELN against the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents, who remained in combat after the suspension of its operations as an armed group. Governor of Norte de Santander William Villamizar Laguado said that civilians were captured, about two dozen people had been injured, some 20,000 displaced in the outbreak of violence, and estimated that more than 80 people were killed. He described the resulting humanitarian situation as "alarming". According to a government report, among the victims are community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people who sought to sign a peace deal.[5] Three people engaged in peace talks were reportedly kidnapped.[citation needed] ELN militants were allegedly killing civilians they accused of being collaborators of the FARC dissidents, kidnapping people from their homes and shooting them in the streets.[6] Government forces were able to rescue dozens of civilians and evacuated them from the affected areas.[7] On January 20, the death toll surpassed 100 following continued outbreaks of violence.[2] On 21 January, the government officially declared a state of internal commotion and launched a military offensive against ELN guerillas.[8]

## Aftermath

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Officials deployed over 5,000 troops throughout the region and prepared to send 10 tonnes (9.8 long tons; 11 short tons) of food and hygiene kits to displaced people in the communities of Ocaña and Tibú. Colombia's army rescued and evacuated dozens of people and animals using helicopters.[9]

As of January 20, about 19,800 people were displaced, of which 11,000 fled to the city of Cúcuta.[2]

On January 20, a state of emergency was declared by Colombian president Gustavo Petro in the Catatumbo region.[10]

The Office of the Inspector General of Colombia reported that around 46,000 children have not been able to begin the academic year due to the violence and that about 35% of the displaced population are under 18.[11]

## Reactions

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### Domestic

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On January 17, President of Colombia Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks with the group as a result of the attacks. The government demanded that the ELN cease all attacks and allow authorities to enter the region and provide humanitarian aid.[9][12] In response to the ELN clashes, he stated the group has "chosen the path of war, and a war they will have".[2]

On January 18, the city of Ocaña enabled the city's coliseum to receive internally displaced persons and called for the national government to declare a state of emergency to address the conflict.[13]

On January 20, Petro announced plans to declare a state of economic emergency and a state of domestic commotion which provides the executive branch extraordinary capacities to reestablish public order in the region.[14] The Government of the Cesar Department sent humanitarian aid to the towns of González and Río de Oro, which border the Catatumbo region, anticipating the arrival of refugees.[15][16] In addition, the Mayor of Cúcuta, Jorge Acevedo said that over 11,000 internally displaced persons have arrived at the city since the start of the conflict and requested further assistance from the national government.[17] On January 19, Cúcuta's Estadio General Santander was repurposed to receive refugees.[18]

On January 20, officials from Bucaramanga announced that they would evaluate establishing temporary camps for possible refugees. Officials also said they would send humanitarian aid to the Catatumbo region.[19]

The Colombian energy company Ecopetrol said that it would restrict work and movement at the Tibu oil field and the Sardinata gas plant in Catatumbo.[12]

### International

[edit]

On January 19, the Ministry of Interior of Venezuela said it has assisted 812 refugees in the border town of Jesús María Semprún, in Zulia State.[20]

## Notes

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1. ^ Covering parts of the departments of Norte de Santander and Cesar.

## References

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1. ^ "At least 80 people killed in northeast Colombia as peace talks fail, official says". Associated Press. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
2. ^ a b c d "Colombia vows 'war' as guerrilla violence kills 100". France 24. 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
3. ^ "Los tres jefes guerrilleros que generan zozobra en el Catatumbo". El Tiempo (in Spanish). April 22, 2018. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
4. ^ "Colombia's new drug trafficking war puts civilians in danger, HRW warns". France 24. Reuters. August 9, 2019. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
5. ^ "At least 80 people killed in northeast Colombia as ELN peace talks fail". Al Jazeera English. 19 January 2025.
6. ^ Rueda, Manuel (January 21, 2025). "Colombia's president will declare an emergency over deadly ELN attacks in the northeast". WJTV 12.
7. ^ "At least 80 dead, several kidnapped in Colombia after failed peace talks, official says". CBS News. 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
8. ^ "Colombia vows 'war' against left-wing guerrillas as violence kills more than 100". France 24. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
9. ^ a b "At least 100 people killed in northeast Colombia as peace talks fail". CNN. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
10. ^ Rueda, Manuel; Suarez, Astrid (2025-01-20). "Colombia to declare 'state of emergency' as violence in northern regions spikes". MSN. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
11. ^ "Alrededor de 46.000 niños se quedaron sin ir a clase en el Catatumbo". EL ESPECTADOR (in Spanish). 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
12. ^ a b "Colombia's president suspends peace talks with ELN rebels". Reuters. 17 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
13. ^ Reyes Espinosa, Daniel Estaban (18 January 2025). "Alcalde de Ocaña habla sobre la conmoción interior del Catatumbo: "Puede ser la salida inmediata"" (in Spanish). Infobae. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
14. ^ Colorado, Juan Camilo (20 January 2025). "Gustavo Petro decreta Estado de Emergencia Económica por la situación en Catatumbo" (in Spanish). La República. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
15. ^ Saavedra Torres, Brian (20 January 2025). "Desplazados por guerra en el Catatumbo llegan al sur del César" (in Spanish). Caracol Radio. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
16. ^ Sanchez Florez, Milagro (20 January 2025). "Río de Oro y González, en el Cesar, en alerta por desplazados del Catatumbo" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
17. ^ "'La situación se desbordó; la ayuda no alcanza para cubrir necesidades de los más de 11 mil desplazados': alcalde de Cúcuta" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
18. ^ Rojas, Camilo (19 January 2025). "Estadio general Santander es refugio de los desplazados que huyen de violencia en el Catatumbo" (in Spanish). Noticias Caracol. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
19. ^ "Bucaramanga se prepara para recibir desplazados del Catatumbo ante la crisis en la zona" (in Spanish). Blu Radio. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
20. ^ "Venezuela atiende a más de 800 colombianos desplazados por conflicto en zona del Catatumbo" (in Spanish). swissinfo.ch. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2025.

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Colombian conflict (1964–present)

Participants

Timeline

Key aspects

* La Violencia (1948–1958)
* Marquetalia Republic
* The National Front
* Dominican Embassy siege (1980)
* Palace of Justice siege (1985)
* DAS Building bombing (1989)
* Patriotic Union Party extermination
* Humanitarian exchange

* Mapiripán Massacre (1997)
* El Caguán DMZ
* Failed peace process (1999–2002)
* Bojayá massacre (2002)
* Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis (2002–2009)
* El Nogal Club bombing (2003)
* Neiva bombing (2003)

* Parapolitics scandal (2006–2007)
* Operation Emmanuel
* "False positives" scandal
* Andean diplomatic crisis (2008)
* Operation Jaque (2008)
* Operation Fenix (2008)

* Nariño massacres (2009)
* 2013 Colombian clashes
* Renewed peace process (2012–present)
* Peace agreement referendum (2016)
* 2022 Huila attack
* Total Peace concept
* Catatumbo campaign
* 2025 Catatumbo attacks

Government aspects

* Democratic security
* Plan Colombia
* Plan Patriota
* Colombia–United States relations
* Human rights in Colombia
* Politics of Colombia

* * *

Illegal drug trade

* Illegal drug trade in Colombia
* War on drugs
* Operation Snowcap
* Narcoterrorism
* Catatumbo campaign

* * *

Kidnappings

* Kidnappings in Colombia
* FARC political hostages

* * *

Lawsuits

* Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola (2001)
* Rodriquez v. Drummond (2003)
* Doe v. Chiquita (2007)

Guerrillas
| Government of Colombia | Paramilitaries

* ELN
* EPL
* FARC dissidents
* FARIP

* * *

Former guerrillas

* FARC-EP
* List of FARC attacks
* M19
* MOEC
* CGSB
* ERP
* MAQL

* * *

Linked to

* PCCC
* Foro de São Paulo
* PC de C (M-L)
* Cuban revolutionaries
* Provisional IRA
* Colombia Three
* ETA
* ANNCOL
* Fighters+Lovers
* Colombian drug cartels
* Some Colombian politicians

* Military Forces of Colombia:
* National Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Colombian Naval Infantry
* National Police
* Other:

* Migración Colombia
* Attorney General units

* * *

Former government program

* CONVIVIR

* * *

Linked to

* DynCorp International
* United Nations
* Mission in Colombia
* European Union
* United States
* Canada

* Águilas Negras
* Los Rastrojos
* Clan Úsuga

* * *

Former paramilitaries

* AUC
* AAA

* * *

Linked to

* Spearhead Ltd
* CONVIVIR
* Colombian drug cartels
* Mexican drug cartels
* Some Colombian
military personnel
* Some Colombian politicians

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