Authorities issue alert for attack on military base in El Tarra, Norte de Santander

In view of the recent civilian attack on the military base 'La Esperanza', the authorities of El Tarra, Norte de Santander, warned that there is a humanitarian crisis in this area of Catatumbo. The National Army said in a press release that “about two hundred people, apparently mostly Venezuelan nationals, tried to break through security and enter the military base in a tumultuary and violent manner.”

The military also indicated that, according to preliminary inquiries, “these violent acts would have involved criminal involvement alias Jhon Mechas and alias Pedro, leaders of the criminal structure of the Gao-r E33 Residual Organized Armed Group”. They also stated that due to the sound of the sound 17 people were injured and one death was recorded.

According to the Army, this GAO aims to “attack the security forces and inhabitants of the region, through the manufacture and use of improvised explosive devices”. In turn, they explained that those who participated in the event threw explosive devices and fired rifle fire, which left countless material damage in the vicinity of the military base.

“Similarly, improvised explosive devices located near the base were deactivated, actions that violate human rights and violate the norms of international humanitarian law, conduct that will be reported to the authorities,” the Army said in the press release.

The Mayor's Alert

The mayor of El Tarra, Yair Díaz, called on the national and departmental authorities to ask for humanitarian assistance for the population and rejected “any act of violence that prevents the effective enjoyment of the rights and tranquility of the inhabitants.” In turn, he asked a human rights commission to go to the territory and “make the appropriate verification of the impact that may be occurring,” added the local president.

With regard to migration status, the National Army stated that there are 6,000 persons of foreign nationality and approximately 1,000 of them are illegally occupying land in the municipality.

Díaz was emphatic to the microphones of RCN Radio in that, “the presence of Migration Colombia is urgently required to give proper management.” The mayor assured that the municipality does not have “enough capacity to offer the various services demanded by the six thousand Venezuelans”.

For its part, the Office of the Ombudsman met on March 21 with the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia, the Municipal Authority, the Mayor's Office of El Tarra and the ecclesiastical authority to analyze the situation. “We are looking for channels of dialogue and mediation for attempted entry of the population to the premises of a military base,” the entity wrote on its Twitter account.

They report harassment and attacks against the security forces in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander

It should be remembered that the recent events in El Tarra are not the only ones that have generated a stir in the Catatumbo, in Norte de Santander. On March 15, there were several attacks and harassments against military units in some municipalities in the region, in the border area with Venezuela.

The uniformed men were allegedly attacked with rifle bursts and fired explosive devices at them in the village of La Gabarra, in the rural area of the municipality of Tibú. While in rural areas of the municipality of San Calixto, clashes with unidentified illegal armed groups were reported, as reported on Caracol Radio.

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