The Ombudsman Carlos Camargo issues an early warning for La Primavera in Vichada in the face of disputes between armed groups for control of the routes of illegal activities.
In the municipality of La Primavera, in the department of Vichada, indigenous communities and their traditional authorities, land claimants, human rights defenders, social leaders, and victims are at risk of violation of their fundamental rights by the presence and actions of illegal armed groups that dispute control of the transnational border area with Venezuela and of the routes for the transit of illegal economies that cross the jurisdiction of this town.
This is the main conclusion of Early Warning 015-23, in which it is denounced that the population in a special situation of risk are boys, girls, adolescents and young people, especially those who live in the rural sector in inspections or indigenous reservations with transit of non-state armed groups, drug trafficking structures and armed gangs; likewise, the indigenous communities and ancestral authorities of the Sikuani, Cubeo, Cuiva, Sáliva, Piapoco and Waupijiwi peoples in condition of forced displacement who live in settlements.
Among the organized armed groups that have the greatest influence in the territory of La Primavera, the National Liberation Army (ELN) was identified through the José Daniel Pérez Carrero Front. The increase in the presence of the ELN seems to be justified since 2020, and it was exacerbated from the confrontation with the Dissident Factions of the Farc, with whom it maintains an arduous dispute from Arauca and Alto Apure.
Since January 2022 there has been a greater repositioning of this guerrilla group, gaining greater interference in the border area with Venezuela and, above all, on the banks of the Meta and Orinoco rivers. After the repositioning of the ELN in the area of Puerto Páez, which generated a massive cross-border displacement in January 2022, there have been no more clashes with the FARC dissidents. It is presumed that there are tacit agreements for the maintenance of the routes of illegal economies that exist in the department.
Meanwhile, the presence of the FARC dissidents is carried out through Commission 16, aligned with the Nueva Marquetalia faction; The Santiago Lozada Commission (from the First Armando Ríos Front) and the Martín Villa 10 Front are also in transit. Its actions are focused on the inspections of Puerto Murillo, La Venturosa and Garcitas (Puerto Carreño). Front 10 Martin Villa sits on various points in the Venezuelan state of Apure, making overpasses towards the inspections La Venturosa (Puerto Carreño) and Nueva Antioquia in La Primavera, in order to make extortion charges, among other illegal activities. It has also been learned of the existence of clandestine airstrips controlled by this illegal armed group on the Venezuelan side, from where they export drug shipments.
On the other hand, among the successor groups of paramilitarism (GSP) are the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) and Puntilleros Libertadores del Vichada (PLV). The presence of the AGCs has been notorious throughout the municipalities of Santa Rosalía (Guacacias), La Primavera (Nueva Antioquia, Matiyure and Agua Verde) and Puerto Carreño (Puerto Murillo and La Venturosa).
And criminal gangs have been identified, presumably subcontracted by non-state armed groups to carry out violent actions on request, with the greatest impact in the urban centers of Puerto Carreño and La Primavera. Despite its limited structure and scope of its criminal organization, the ability to threaten socially vulnerable populations is very intimidating.
All these armed groups that are present in Vichada are directly and indirectly involved in drug trafficking activity; however, it has also been identified that both the ELN and the FARC dissidents control illegal gold and coltan mining on both sides of the border.
Additionally, they all profit from extortion charges in rural and urban sectors, mainly from merchants and transporters who carry out their activities along the Meta River”, explained the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo Assis.
Source: Ombudsman