Nuquí: 500 indigenous people displaced by armed conflict

Approximately 500 indigenous people from the Villa Nueva community in the Jurubirá district of Nuquí, Chocó, have abandoned their ancestral territory. The mass displacement occurred on November 1, 2026, as families fled via river toward the municipal seat of Nuquí due to escalating violence.

The exodus follows a surge in conflict between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC, also known as Clan del Golfo). The security deterioration was marked by the recent murder of two individuals and the alleged kidnapping of a third person in the Villa Nueva sector.

The displaced group includes children, women, elderly individuals, and traditional authorities. Currently, many families are staying temporarily in the Afro-descendant community of Jurubirá while awaiting further relocation. Additionally, about 300 residents of Puerto Indio are reportedly considering a preventive mass displacement due to persistent insecurity and the threat of armed clashes.