The Ombudsman’s Office warns about a situation of imminent risk in six municipalities of Valle del Cauca due to disputes between dissident fronts of the FARC. The towns of Buga, San Pedro, Geneva, Guacarí, El Cerrito and Palmiralocated in the Central mountain range, are affected by this situation, which endangers the fundamental rights of residents and people transiting through the region.
The Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo Assis, has issued Early Warning 010-2024 in response to the escalation of the armed conflict and violence in the area. This situation is due to the expansion and dispute actions of the 57th Front “Yair Bermúdez”, a FARC dissident, which seeks to control territories previously dominated by structures of the Western Block Commander Jacobo Arenas, especially the Adán Izquierdo Front, with the support of the Front Dagoberto Ramos, also a FARC dissident.
The geographical location of these six municipalities in the Central mountain range makes them a strategic mobility corridor for illegal armed groups, facilitating communication between the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca and Tolima, through the Las Hermosas moor.
Recommended
The escalation of internal conflicts between dissident fronts has resulted in a significant increase in human rights violations in the region: “since internal conflicts between FARC dissident fronts have led to an increase in human rights violations by the consummation of selective homicides, massacres, threats, restrictions on mobility, imposition of schedules, illegal checkpoints,” said the defender. In addition, events related to theft, extortion and forced recruitment of children and adolescents have been recorded.
Given this situation, the Ombudsman’s Office urgently calls on civil, police and military authorities to take exceptional and priority measures to protect the affected communities. Specific recommendations have been sent to prevent homicides, forced disappearances, massacres, forced displacements, confinements, restrictions on free movement and other violations of international humanitarian law: “State institutions must implement exceptional and priority measures to safeguard communities, and thus avoid serious damage to their life and integrity, property and means of subsistence,” the defender stated.
It should be noted that this is not the first time that the Ombudsman’s Office has issued an alert regarding clashes between FARC dissidents in Valle del Cauca. The Ombudsman’s Office had issued Early Warning of Imminence (ATI) 005 of 2024 due to the risks faced by the population of Jamundí, a municipality located one hour by car from Cali, in the department of Valle del Cauca. Where last March there were cases in which several cyclists were intercepted at an illegal guerrilla checkpoint, and in the vicinity of that town, the Army dismantled banners of the FARC dissidents.
“These are just two violent events that prove the need for government entities and State security forces to implement urgent, exceptional and priority actions to protect the citizens of the Jaime Martínez Front, of the Central General Staff of the FARC dissidents. ”, the Ombudsman expressed at that time.
Likewise, on Wednesday afternoon, April 10, the Army reported on clashes with the Jaime Martínez front of the FARC dissidents in the rural area of Jamundí, located in the department of Valle del Cauca. According to what was reported by the III Division, the troops of the Alta Montaña Battalion No. 3 fought this illegal armed group in the town of Timba. Several videos widely spread on social networks show the community taking refuge to avoid being trapped in the middle of the clashes, a fact that has drawn attention due to the risk experienced by the civilian population in the department.
