The president of Colombia will declare a “state of emergency” in response to the growing violence in the country’s north

The president of Colombia intends to impose a “state of emergency” in reaction to the escalating violence in the country’s north.

Following a string of guerrilla strikes in the northeast of the nation that have killed dozens and driven thousands to leave, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced plans on Monday to establish a state of emergency.

Petro stated his plan to “declare a state of internal commotion,” a legislative move that permits the executive branch to enact particular laws for three months without the consent of Congress, in a statement posted on X.

The law can be reversed by Colombia’s constitutional court, but it needs a presidential order approved by the Cabinet to be implemented.

In the early 2000s, under then-President Álvaro Uribe, internal commotion decrees were used to finance military operations through a special war tax.

The Colombian constitution, however, forbids suspending Congress or rescinding civil rights in this way. Petro wrote, “I hope the legal system helps us.”

At least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks by the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the Catatumbo area earlier on Monday, prompting Petro to threaten immediate military action against the organization.

Petro claimed on X that the ELN was turning to drug trafficking and wrote, “The ELN has chosen the path of war, and that’s what they will get.” He likened their brutal tactics to those of Pablo Escobar, the notorious cartel leader.

During his candidacy, Petro, a former guerrilla member, pledged to demobilize the organization within three months of becoming government and began peace negotiations with the ELN in 2022. However, differences over suggested economic changes and disarmament have caused the discussions to stall.

When violence broke out in Catatumbo, an area that produces 15% of Colombia’s coca and is close to the Venezuelan border, last week, Petro canceled discussions, escalating tensions.

According to reports, the ELN targeted residents who were thought to be supporting the rival FARC-EMC organization, evicting them from their houses and publicly killing them. Conflicts between the two groups also occurred in rural regions.

Thousands of civilians, including demobilized militants from the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, escaped the violence as ELN leader Antonio García said on Monday that their targets were former rebels working with the FARC-EMC.

18,300 people have been displaced by the violence, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Many of them are seeking safety in hotels and shelters in places like Tibu, Ocaña, and Cúcuta, where authorities warn of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

A farmer from northern Colombia named Sandra Tijaro described how she had to leave her town when armed men gave the order. She begged for peace when she and her kids were sheltering in a shelter in Tibu.

“We want armed groups to consider rural residents’ well-being.” We are diligent individuals who ultimately bear the weight of this dispute.

Although 11,000 militants were demobilized as a result of the 2016 peace agreement, smaller rebel organizations have attempted to fill the power vacuum in rural regions. Violence against people continues in some areas in spite of official attempts.