At least 80 people killed in northeast Colombia as peace talks fail, official says

More than 80 radical were killed successful the country’s northeast implicit the play pursuing the government's failed attempts to clasp bid talks with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian authoritative said.

Twenty others were injured successful the unit that has forced thousands to fly arsenic Colombia's service scrambled to evacuate radical connected Sunday, according to William Villamizar, politician of North Santander, wherever galore of the killings took place.

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Among the victims are assemblage person Carmelo Guerrero and 7 radical who sought to motion a bid deal, according to a study that a authorities ombudsman bureau released precocious Saturday.

Officials said the attacks happened successful respective towns located successful the Catatumbo portion adjacent the borderline with Venezuela, with astatine slightest 3 radical who were portion of the bid talks being kidnapped.

Thousands of radical are fleeing the area, with immoderate hiding successful the adjacent lush mountains oregon seeking assistance astatine authorities shelters.

"We were caught successful the crossfire," said Juan Gutiérrez, who fled with his household to a impermanent structure successful Tibú aft they were forced to permission down their animals and belongings. "We had nary clip to drawback our things. ... I anticipation the authorities remembers us. ... We are helpless here."

Colombia’s service rescued dozens of radical connected Sunday, including a household and their favored dog, whose proprietor held a battalion of acold h2o against the animal’s thorax to support it chill arsenic they evacuated by helicopter.

Defense Minister Iván Velásquez traveled to the northeast municipality of Cúcuta connected Sunday wherever helium held respective information meetings and urged equipped groups to demobilize.

"The precedence is to prevention lives and warrant the information of communities," helium said. "We person deployed our troops passim the full region."

Officials besides prepared to nonstop 10 tons of nutrient and hygiene kits for astir 5,000 radical successful the communities of Ocaña and Tibú, the bulk of them having fled the violence.

"Catatumbo needs help," Villamizar said successful a nationalist code connected Saturday. "Boys, girls, young people, teenagers, full families are showing up with nothing, riding trucks, dump trucks, motorcycles, immoderate they can, connected foot, to debar being victims of this confrontation."

The onslaught comes aft Colombia suspended bid talks with the National Liberation Army, oregon ELN, connected Friday, the 2nd clip it has done truthful successful little than a year.

Colombia’s authorities has demanded that the ELN cease each attacks and let authorities to participate the portion and supply humanitarian aid.

"Displacement is sidesplitting america present successful the region," said José Trinidad, a municipal authoritative for the municipality of Convención, located successful the North Santander region. "We're acrophobic the situation volition worsen."

Trinidad called connected insurgent groups to beryllium down and hammer retired a caller statement truthful "us civilians don't person to endure the consequences that we're suffering close now."

The ELN has been clashing successful Catatumbo with erstwhile members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, oregon FARC, a guerrilla radical that disbanded aft signing a bid woody successful 2016 with Colombia's government. The 2 are warring implicit power of a strategical borderline portion that has coca leafage plantations.

In a connection Saturday, the ELN said it had warned erstwhile FARC members that if they "continued attacking the colonisation ... determination was nary different mode retired than equipped confrontation." The ELN has accused ex-FARC rebels of respective killings successful the area, including the Jan. 15 slaying of a mates and their 9-month-old baby.

Army commandant Gen. Luis Emilio Cardozo Santamaría said Saturday that authorities were reinforcing a humanitarian corridor betwixt Tibú and Cúcuta for the harmless transition of those forced to fly their homes. He said peculiar municipality troops besides were deployed to municipal capitals "where determination are risks and a batch of fear."

The ELN has tried to negociate a bid woody with the medication of President Gustavo Petro 5 times, with talks failing aft bouts of violence. ELN demands see that it beryllium recognized arsenic a governmental rebel organization, which critics person said is risky.