Chocó regional displacement crisis

The Chocó region in Colombia is facing a dual crisis of environmental and security related displacement. Initially, the Colombian Ombudsman's Office issued an alert regarding marine and fluvial erosion along the Pacific coast, threatening more than 1,300 families across five municipalities, including Nuquí, Juradó, Bahía Solano, Bajo Baudó, and Acandí. This environmental emergency was exacerbated by river overflows in May 2024.

In November 2026, the situation in Nuquí escalated due to armed conflict. On November 1, approximately 500 members of the Emberá Dobidá indigenous community from the Villa Nueva community in the Jurubirá district were forcibly displaced toward the municipal seat of Nuquí. The Ombudsman’s Office attributed this exodus to fear generated by territorial disputes and violence between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC), also known as the Clan del Golfo.

The displacement follows the killing of Ramiro Forastero, a former indigenous leader and governor of the Villa Nueva Jurubidá territory, and his son, Elmer Forastero. According to the Institute for Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz), the pair were kidnapped on October 24 and their bodies were discovered on October 28. The displaced population, which includes women, children, and the elderly, is currently staying in a local coliseum in Nuquí. Further displacement remains a risk for residents in Puerto Indio due to persistent insecurity.