Colombian city grapples with its most violent era in decades as armed factions unleash chaos.

• Feb 24, 2025

In northern Colombia’s border region near Venezuela, the city of Cúcuta is grappling with an unprecedented surge of violence reminiscent of the turbulent 1990s. The local government has imposed a 48‑hour curfew on its 1‑million residents in an effort to stem the chaos following a fierce attack by the National Liberation Army (ELN).

According to local reports, the ELN—Colombia’s largest armed group—launched a series of assaults that included storming police stations with assault rifles and grenades, as well as setting off car bombs that destroyed toll booths. In the ensuing clashes with the Colombian army, at least six individuals sustained injuries.

The sudden eruption of violence has sent shockwaves through the city, with many residents describing scenes of deserted streets, shuttered businesses, and closed schools. “Everyone is in a state of panic, unsure of where the next explosion might occur,” said Beatriz Carvajal, a local teacher who recalled similar harrowing times during the era of cartel violence in the 1990s.

The unrest began in the rural Catatumbo region in mid‑January when the ELN clashed with splinter factions of the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). This conflict has claimed 80 lives and displaced around 50,000 people, prompting President Gustavo Petro to declare a state of emergency and suspend the fragile peace talks with rebel groups. Violence has also spread to other parts of the country, including the Amazon rainforest—where 20 people were recently killed—and the Chocó region on the Pacific coast, which is now under strict lockdown measures.

Once considered a hub for illicit activities due to its strategic location, Cúcuta is now under the shadow of multiple criminal factions. Roughly 25 groups are reported to be battling for control over drug trafficking, smuggling, and other illegal enterprises. National authorities have noted that the number of armed groups in Colombia has surged from 141 in 2022 to 184 in 2024.

Amid this spiraling conflict, a growing humanitarian crisis has emerged. Humanitarian organization Project Hope has indicated that urgent assistance is needed for 122,000 people in northern Colombia. Overwhelmed hospitals, critical shortages of water and healthcare, and deteriorating conditions in refugee camps have compounded the crisis. “Violence has been relentless, and the humanitarian situation is now catastrophic,” stated Mónica Hoyos, Project Hope’s program director in Colombia.

The current turmoil starkly contrasts with the historic peace agreement signed in 2016 with the Farc—a deal that formally ended six decades of conflict which claimed 450,000 lives and displaced millions. Instead of lasting peace, the country now faces a new era marked by fragmented armed groups and an escalating security crisis.