The declaration of Internal Commotion (a state of emergency) is a necessary and proportional measure to provide support in the humanitarian crisis.
Since January 16th to date, 1,158 new soldiers have been sent to the region, for completing 9,487, including 428 Special Forces units and ground operations units.
The resources of the Police have been reinforced through the dispatch of 496 new police officers, including COPES and JUNGLA commandos, in addition to 22 officers of the Life Group.
The Ministry of Defense has arranged a reward of $3 billion pesos for information leading to find each member of the ELN Central Command and $2,200 million pesos for the 10 main people responsible for the criminal incursion that took place since January 16 in the Catatumbo region.
“The Military Forces and the institutions of the Colombian State are those who must be strengthened and exercise democratic and legal control of the territory, and on that way we are moving forward and we will soon give reports of victory to the country:” Minister of Defense.
Before the Plenary of the House of Representatives, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez Gómez, accompanied by the military and Police commanders, spoke about the factual budget on the historical conflict in the Catatumbo region and the events that have occurred since January 16, the consequences of which in the same way motivate the declaration of state in Internal Commotion.
Due to the decrease in military operations capability during the last 15 years, since in 2010 it went from having an Army of more than 228 thousand men to only 166,571 men in 2022, one of the first measures taken by the Government was the provision of more than $1.1 billion pesos to increase the personnel within the framework of the Plan 16,000 of the Military Forces of which 11,000 are directed to new specialist soldiers of Colombian National Army; as well as the Plan 20,000 of the National Police.
“I must say that, thanks to this Plan, as far as Catatumbo is concerned, last year we sent 25 new platoons to the region to counter criminal activity,” Velasquez reported. In turn, and taking into account the weakening in resources suffered by the Colombian Navy in the Catatumbo region, Velásquez gave the order to return to the Operations element, which consists of three boats, in addition to a River Support Boat that strengthen the control of the navigable roads of the Catatumbo region.
Therefore, Minister Velásquez was emphatic in highlighting the importance of increasing the resources of the Military Forces throughout the country, especially in the Catatumbo region due to aspects such as the temporary alliances made by armed groups for the control of the territory, the hectares of coca grown in the Department of Norte de Santander, among others.
“These dynamics of regional conflict and the recent violent escalation of the ELN are disproportionately harming the inhabitants and forcing the government to take extraordinary measures. Therefore, the declaration of internal commotion includes, in addition to the Catatumbo region and the metropolitan area of Cúcuta, the municipalities of Río de Oro and González in the department of Cesar, as these are the gateway to the Catatumbo by the south of the department,” the minister said.
Then, Velázquez said that “we are not going to allow the ELN or any other armed actor to consolidate in the region. The Military Forces and the institutions of the Colombian State are those who must be strengthened and exercise democratic and legal control of the territory, and on that way we are moving forward and we will soon give reports of victory to the country.”
Regarding the latest law and order events, Velásquez emphasized the operations carried out by the Military Forces conducted in phases, under the premise of saving lives.
“The Military and Police forces have led evacuations and humanitarian operations in the hardest-hit areas, rescuing and evacuating 638 injured and threatened people, including 32 signatories of the Peace Agreement and 17 social leaders who have left the region safe and sound. We in the same way received 580 people who came looking for protection at 14 military bases in Catatumbo and who have already been evacuated. This is an example of the confidence that the people of Catatumbo have in the Military Forces.”
Since January 16 to date, 91 members of the Residual GAO-33 have surrendered to justice: Through military intelligence resources and carrying out loudspeaker and pressure operations, we have obtained this massive surrenders, in which an arsenal of important weaponry has in the same way been received, decimating the war capacity of this Residual GAO. We in the same way recovered 20 children and adolescents who were in the hands of this criminal armed group.
For its part, the Colombian Aerospace Force has flown 177 hours transporting 127 tons of humanitarian aid to the region, in addition to having four aircraft for military activity in the area, including air intelligence, ghost aircraft and air medical transfer.
Finally, the Minister of Defense reiterated to those in the place and to the citizens that “the unwavering will for peace of this Government should not be confused in any way with weakness of the Military Forces, the Defense Sector will continue with the duty to combat ringleaders of the ELN and other illegal armed groups that intend to continue threatening and putting at risk the inhabitants of Catatumbo and that, together with all these measures for the restoration of law and order, for the exercise of control of the territory by the Military Forces and the National, the measures of the social pact will make it possible to transform the reality of a territory abandoned for decades.”
Source: Press – Ministry of National Defense
