Catatumbo armed conflict triggers new wave of forced displacement

Violence stemming from confrontations between illegal armed groups has triggered a new wave of forced displacement in the Catatumbo region. Families from rural sectors, including the vereda La Enllanada in the Agua de la Virgen district and El Cauca in Pueblo Nuevo, have arrived in the urban center of Ocaña seeking humanitarian assistance and protection.

The clashes involve groups such as the Clan del Golfo and the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, also known as 'Las Pachencas'. This conflict is concentrated in the border area between southern Cesar and Norte de Santander. In addition to the movement toward Ocaña, some farmers have been forced to flee toward the districts of Los Ángeles and Montecitos in the municipality of Río de Oro.

Local authorities, including the Personero of Ocaña, Andrés Fauricio Torrado Amaya, have called on armed groups to exclude the civilian population from the fighting. This escalation follows previous warnings from the Ombudsman's Office regarding the risk of illegal group incursions in these border zones.