The communities report deaths, injuries and a cessation of their economic activities due to the clashes between the ELN and the dissidents of Iván Mordisco and Iván Márquez. More than 2,000 people are confined in Cauca. Authorities from Puerto Rondón, Arauquita and Tame (Arauca) have warned about the restrictions imposed by armed groups in several villages of those municipalities in the department of Arauca, Colombia.
According to a statement from the representatives of these three municipalities, the armed clashes between the ELN and the FARC dissidents prevent access to the Las Galaxias, Lejanías, El Cesar, Cuiloto 2 villages in Arauquita; Brisas de Cuiloto, Las Nubes, Siberia 1, Siberia 2, Santo Domingo, La Esperanza, Gran Bucare, El Temblador, Los Libertadores, El Progreso, Lucitania, Caño Limón, Caño Camame, Canoas, Carraos, La Holland in Tame; and El Progreso, La Esmeralda, El Paisaje in Puerto Rondón, as well as the Normandia path shared by Puerto Rondón and Arauquita. They warn that merchants, including milkmen, school routes and private vehicles cannot circulate without problems, interrupting the normal functioning of these communities.
The Personerías called on criminal groups to cease their armed actions and respect the lives of the people who live in this area of the country. These actions not only affect the local economy, but also endanger the lives of residents by hindering access to food and vital services.
The commander of the Military Forces, General Helder Giraldo, assured that “we are not going to allow this confinement, this shortage, nor for these illegal actors to have control of the territory, preventing the movement of individuals. In the triangle of Tame, Arauquita and Puerto Rondón, we must make a more effective presence to control the territory.”
