Colombia: Colombian Army evacuates ten civilians from Cauca department due to threat of rebel forces May 25

Event

Colombian Army troops evacuated ten people from Suarez municipality (Cauca department) on Monday, May 25, due to the threat posed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels.

On Sunday, May 10, three Colombians - a father and two children - were killed near Suarez by suspected FARC rebels for not adhering to an extrajudicial curfew, reportedly forbidding people from moving anywhere after 14:00 (local time). As a result, the Colombian Army has increased patrols in the area, and carried out subsequent evacuations.

A heightened security presence is to be anticipated in Suarez in the immediate term. 

Context

A peace deal between FARC leadership and the Colombian government was ratified by the Colombian congress in November 2016, officially ending an armed conflict that killed more than 260,000 people over five decades. However, some dissident ex-FARC militants remain active.

Advice

Individuals in or planning travel to Colombia are advised to keep abreast of the situation. Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, and the ELN guerrilla group in addition to ex-FARC dissidents - Western governments generally advise against travel to various regions of the country, most notably most border areas on the frontiers with Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, and Panama.