Rebel fighting in Colombia devastated lives of civilians

SARAVENA, COLOMBIA - FEBRUARY 20: As fighting between rebel groups are wreaking havoc on the lives of ordinary civilians, Colombian National Police members carried out security checks on Sunday, Feb. 20, in the country's Arauca department on the border with Venezuela. Last month at least 23 people were killed in Saravena in clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group and dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who refused to join a 2016 peace deal. Authorities report that more than 2,000 people have been displaced as a result of the attacks in the eastern border area near Venezuela. Juan Carlos Villate, the ombudsman of Tame, a town in Arauca, said it was the "most violent day of the last 10 years" in his region. The area has seen a surge in violence between drug trafficking groups that are fighting to gain control of coca crops and trafficking routes. In March 2021, the Ombudsman's Office issued an early warning asking the government to act urgently due to the exacerbated risks of attacks against the civilian population. Violence in some parts of Colombia has increased after the 2016 peace deal was signed between the government and the FARC rebel group. Some dissidents announced a return to arms in 2018. Colombian President Ivan Duque has accused the government of Venezuela of allowing armed groups to operate in border regions. Duque said Monday that these acts are taking place "very close to the border with Venezuela, where the groups have protection and shelter from the regime of (President) Nicolas Maduro." (Footage by Gustavo Adolfo Delvasto Daza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)