Arauca adds 1,163 displaced families so far in 2022: Office of the Ombudsman

The violence in Arauca does not stop. In this part of the country 146 people were killed in 2022, keeping the inhabitants of the department in the midst of fear and anxiety over the clashes of illegal armed groups.

The worrying balance was delivered by the Ombudsman's Office, who explained that since March 13, the violation of human rights in the communities of Arauca has intensified amid the confrontations between the ELN and FARC dissidents, which have kept the inhabitants in confinement, threat and risk of displacement of 14 villages in Puerto Rondón, 17 in Tame, 15 in Arauquita and 9 in the municipality of Arauca.

The most recent massacre in Arauca occurred on April 18, when four people, including two minors, were killed while they were mobilizing in a Chevrolet Vitara vehicle, near the municipality of Tame, Arauca.

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In an interview with W Radio, Carlos Camargo, Ombudsman, spoke about the violence that has been taking place in this department: “The situation in the department of Arauca is chilling, it is a very worrying situation. The illegal groups did not wait for the year to begin when they were already in a confrontation over territory and control of illegal activities. As of April 20, there are more than 1,163 families displaced,” he said.

In his interview with the media, the official also referred to the lifting of bodies that the community had to carry out due to the fact that the Prosecutor's Office was not present at the scene:

Finally, the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, called on illegal groups to leave civilians out of their clashes: “In this conflict between the ELN and the FARC dissidents to achieve such territorial control, the only people affected are the civilian population.”

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For his part, Luis Eduardo Celis, an expert in armed conflict, explained to the Spectator that in Arauca there has been a huge armed conflict for four decades “which expresses uprooting in Arauca society, a great distrust of central power and the State. That mistrust is that the conflict has remained for so long. In that area, as in others where there is armed conflict, central power is not seen as a friend, as a partner, but is seen as an enemy.”

On the other hand, the International Red Cross was also concerned about the situation in Arauca. “We call on all armed actors to respect humanitarian norms and to take precautionary measures to protect the civilian population and property from the effects of hostilities. It is important to ensure the lives and integrity of civilians and to preserve community spaces,” said Nicolas Ferminet, head of the ICRC office in Saravena.

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