International

Commissioner recognizes that the Government of Colombia did not analyze an alert of violence in the Catatumbo

The Commissioner of the Peace of Colombia, Otty Patiño, acknowledged on Monday that the Government did not analyze the early warning issued last year by the Ombudsman’s Office about a possible confrontation between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and a FARC dissident in the Catatumbo region, as has been the case since January 16.

“What was noticeable through the alerts was an exacerbation of the conflict. There was not, and I want to be very self-critical, an in-depth analysis of why that exacerbation of the confrontations between those who had a situation of coexistence, between what they call (…) the Front 33, and the ELN in that region,” said Patiño.

Patiño participated in a technical session of the unconstitutional state of affairs (ECI) of the security guarantees to the signatories of the Peace Agreement, organized by the Constitutional Court, in which they talked about what is happening in the Catatumbo, a region located in the department of Norte de Santander, since the guerrilla violence has left at least six FARC ex-combatants killed.

The humanitarian and security crisis in Catatumbo was something announced by various authorities, including the Ombudsman’s Office, which on November 15 warned, through its early warning system, of “the risk situation” for the civilian population due to the presence and threats of illegal armed groups.

Since January 16, the clashes between the ELN guerrillas and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo have left between 60 and 80 dead according to the counts of the Ombudsman’s Office and the Government of Norte de Santander, while the number of displaced people is more than 50,000 people.

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However, the authorities have only been able to collect 47 bodies due to the situation that the most remote rural areas continue to experience, where the authorities have not yet been able to access.

In addition, it became known that a humanitarian commission, led by the Catholic Church, the UN Mission in Colombia and the Ombudsman’s Office, will address the crisis in the Catatumbo region (border with Venezuela), caused by guerrilla violence that since January 16 has left at least 47 dead.

The Ombudsman’s Office detailed on Monday that the objective is to “address the situation in the Catatumbo region, in order to improve the lives of people in vulnerable situations” due to the clashes between the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in that region of the department of Norte de Santander.

“The Northeast War Front of the ELN has committed to respecting the actions of the humanitarian commission,” the agency added.

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International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.