The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Day: 27 January 2025

The OIDHACO network shares the concern about the situation in Catatumbo.

by

24th January 2025

Communiqué from OIDHACO and its members Regarding the Recent Events in Catatumbo and the Humanitarian Crisis[1] in Colombia

The International Office for Human Rights in Colombia (OIDHACO) and its members express their deep concern over the recent events in the Catatumbo region. Located in the northeast of Colombia, in the department of Norte de Santander, near the border with Venezuela, Catatumbo has long been affected by armed conflict. However, in recent weeks, the region has seen an alarming surge in violence, with multiple clashes between illegal armed groups, displacing thousands of people and creating a serious humanitarian crisis.

Recent weeks have seen intense fighting between FARC-EP dissidents, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and other armed groups, leading to the forced abandonment of homes, the closure of key roads, and the collapse of health and education infrastructures in several communities. Despite the state’s efforts to ensure security, civilians remain the most affected, particularly women and children, who have been forced to flee to other regions in search of safety and basic assistance.

Moreover, regions like Guaviare[2]  are showing early signs of what could be a new escalation of violence, with clashes between armed groups and a troubling rise in violence in rural communities. This poses a serious risk of a broader humanitarian crisis that could affect thousands more Colombians.

In this context, OIDHACO urges the strengthening of protection measures for communities, ensuring their safety and access to humanitarian aid. It is crucial that the State maintains its commitment to the peace agreements signed with the FARC-EP in 2016 and continues to advance the dialogues and negotiation tables within the framework of the Total Peace Policy. These efforts are essential to prevent further violence against the civilian population.

We also call on the international community to continue supporting the peace process and dialogue in Colombia. International cooperation is crucial not only to facilitate the implementation of peace agreements but also to mitigate the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Catatumbo and other violence-affected regions. Furthermore, this support is vital to consolidating Colombian society’s will to build peace through dialogue between the State and armed groups.

OIDHACO, a network of European organizations working to promote and defend human rights in Colombia, is dedicated to supporting the peace process and fostering a stable, lasting peace. Its mission is to promote respect for fundamental human rights, particularly in contexts of armed conflict, displacement, and systematic violence. Since its inception, OIDHACO has been a leading voice in denouncing human rights violations and supporting victims in their pursuit of justice and reparation.

We reaffirm our commitment to peace in Colombia and express our solidarity with all communities once again caught in the cycle of violence and suffering. Achieving a just and lasting peace requires committed action from both the Colombian government and the international community.

Endorsed by:

[1] https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2025-01-21/la-crisis-humanitaria-en-el-catatumbo-ya-deja-60-muertos-mas-de-18000-desplazados-y-46000-ninos-sin-clases-segun-la-onu.html

[2] https://www.elespectador.com/judicial/violencia-en-colombia-crisis-por-enfrentamientos-de-las-disidencias-en-el-guaviare-noticias-hoy/

Our solidarity is universal.

We are deeply concerned about all victims of armed conflict, repression and violence around the world — from Sudan to Syria, including the persecution of the Rohingya and so many other crises that often receive less international attention than they deserve. Each of these situations calls for solidarity, remembrance, justice and action.

However, we have decided to specifically highlight the message ‘Stop Genocide in Palestine’ because what is happening in Palestine represents not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude, but also a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and to the rules-based international system itself. The indifference and complicity of much of the international community in the face of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people represent one of the greatest moral and political contradictions of our time.

The persistent violation of essential norms — such as the protection of the civilian population, the prohibition of collective punishment and respect for proportionality in the use of force — not only has devastating consequences for the Palestinian population, but also erodes the global mechanisms designed to limit the power of states and prevent abuses.

When these rules are repeatedly breached without any effective consequences, the framework that protects all populations in conflict situations, anywhere in the world, is weakened. Therefore, speaking out in this case does not mean ignoring other forms of suffering, but rather emphasising the urgency of defending an international order which, if it collapses, leaves everyone in a more vulnerable position.

Drawing attention to this situation is, therefore, an act consistent with the universal values we uphold: the protection of life, human dignity and respect for international law, without exception.

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