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BOGOTA, Colombia: Human Rights Watch says illegal armed groups have forced 40,000 people to flee their homes as they fight for control of drug trafficking routes in Colombia’s Catatumbo region bordering Venezuela.
In a report being published Thursday, the watchdog details abuses committed against civilians by armed groups in the mountainous area. The situation reflects the security challenges that Colombia faces after the government signed a 2016 peace deal with the FARC guerrilla group, leaving a void that has been filled by smaller armed groups that have moved into Catatumbo and other remote areas.
The report says three groups are fighting over drug routes and coca plantations abandoned by FARC rebels in Catatumbo. It says the groups have expelled thousands from their homes, murdered community leaders and forcibly recruited children.