Security concerns rise in Colombia border regions

Security alerts have been issued regarding the presence of armed groups in the Colombian departments of Arauca and Nariño. In Arauca, Representative Manuel Alexander Pérez Rueda reported seeing uniformed men carrying rifles near a main park in Tame and patrolling the former IDEMA facilities in Saravena. Pérez Rueda criticized the national government's “Paz Total” policy, claiming it has failed to maintain order in these border areas.

In the Nariño department, the Colombian Ombudsman's Office warned of potential violence escalations in the coastal foothills. Reports indicate high homicide rates in municipalities such as Mallama, which reached 67.37 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2026. Experts attribute this instability to persistent criminal economies, including drug and gold trafficking routes that connect the Pacific coast to the Ecuadorian border and international markets.