Colombia: Clashes between rival armed groups in Chocó August 22

Event

Clashes broke out in Riosucio (Chocó department) between rival armed groups on the morning of Tuesday, August 22. According to local media reports, the two parties involved were the Clan del Golfo crime organization (also known as Los Urabeños) and the ELN (National Liberation Army) guerrilla group. One local resident was reportedly killed in the crossfire and two others have gone missing. Local residents have fled to La Isla and, as of Wednesday, were trapped there amid ongoing fighting without means of communication. The army has been deployed to the area.

Context

The ELN - the country's last remaining rebel group following the demobilization of the FARC - continues to be highly active in various parts of the country despite ongoing peace talks between the group and the government, launched in February 2017. Meanwhile, paramilitary crime organizations (BACRIM) such as the Clan del Golfo have replaced leftist guerrillas as the most serious armed threat in Colombia today. These groups are involved in a variety of illicit activities (drug-trafficking, smuggling, illegal mining, extortion) and have begun expanding into territories vacated by the FARC, leading to a rise in violence, including turf warfare and assassinations of local landowners and community leaders. The government has pledged to increase the presence of security forces in these areas, but the deployment has been slow.

Advice

Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, and the ELN - some Western governments advise against travel to various parts of the country, including Chocó department.