A total of 22 hostages that remained in the hands of the National Liberation Army (ELN) were released on Monday, the Colombian Ombudsman said.
“Liberated 22 people in the Catatumbo. They are already with their families three minors, two peace signatories and 17 more civilians, after being kidnapped by the ELN for 45 days, ”said the Ombudsman’s Office in a message published in the social network X.
Liberated 22 people in the Catatumbo.
They are already with their families 3 minors, 2 peace signatories and 17 more civilians, after being kidnapped by the ELN for 45 days.
Together with the UN church and verification mission, we integrate the Humanitarian Commission that …
– Ombudsman (@Defensoriacol) March 3, 2025
The ELN and Front 33 of the FARC dissidents fight territorial control and drug trafficking business in the Catatumbo region, since January 16, a situation that has left at least 71 dead and more than 54,000 displaced people.
The Ombudsman, Iris Marín, has described the results of this confrontation as “unprecedented”, since the greatest “mass forced displacement” that had been recorded “was 11,000 people more or less in 2009” to the Catatumbo crisis.
The situation is also critical for the peace signatories since seven ex -combatants to whom the ELN accuses of being members of the 33rd Front of the Disidences, are missing, while six of them were killed.
Marín said last week in an interview with Efe that the Catatumbo crisis is far from solving although measures have been taken to address the humanitarian emergency.
“It is a situation that became stable but that is not resolved,” said Marín, who highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Defense, which “has announced that it will be taking control of the territory in a phase intervention, that’s fine.”
