Violent Clashes Kill at Least Eighty People in Columbia

What Happened?

At least 80 people were killed and thousands more displaced from a wave of violence that broke out in Columbia this week.

The fighting took place in Catatumbo, which is in the northeast corner of Columbia near Venezuela, and consisted of clashes among several armed groups in the area.

Columbia’s President Gustavo Petro declared a state of internal commotion which under Columbian law is an emergency measure that allows the president to pass legislation without congressional approval for up to 90 days.

Mr. Petro also announced a state of economic emergency in the country.

Why it Matters

According to the Washington Post:

‘Since late last week, the fighting in Catatumbo has spurred thousands to flee the region and has even forced some local residents to cross the border into Venezuela. At least 20 people have been wounded, according to local officials, and others have been kidnapped or threatened. The victims include local community leaders, children and “civilians who are accused of collaborating with one group or the other simply because they are family members or people close to them,” according to the head of Colombia’s ombudsman’s office, Iris Marín Ortiz.’

Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst in Colombia for the International Crisis Group, said:

‘The scale of what is happening is very different from anything we’ve seen since the peace accords. This is spiraling out of control very quickly. It’s going to be very difficult for Petro to reel the security situation back in, because we have overt, massive conflict in regions that were pretty quiet up until now.’

The violence represents the deadliest outbreak in Columbia since the 2016 peace accords and could create problems for neighboring Venezuela since many people fleeing the violence in Columbia headed across the border.

This type of violence in Latin America has in past years driven record numbers of people north. It has created migration problems for every country along the way. Especially for Mexico and the United States, which are two of the most popular destinations for migrants from South America.

The Trump Administration has made immigration a top issue. The violence in Columbia will be one more challenge the new administration will face in trying to reduce the number of migrants heading north to the U.S. — Mexican border.

How it Affects You

While deploying additional resources to the southern U.S. border could help manage the flow of incoming migrants, ultimately the root causes of mass migrations will have to be addressed in order to make any lasting headway against illegal immigration.

Tackling those underlying issues will be a challenge for the new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is himself the son of Latin American immigrants.