Bogota, Colombia – Colombia has recorded a slew of retaliatory attacks on civilians and state security forces in the past week as newly-elected President Abelardo de la Espriella ramps up offensives against illegal armed groups.

The violence has been concentrated in the Norte de Santander and Cauca provinces and has included drone attacks, kidnappings, and forced confinement. 

Colombia has been grappling with a surge in armed violence in recent years as illegal armed groups have grown to their strongest level since a historic 2016 peace deal between the government and the demobilized FARC rebels.

De la Espriella, who was elected in June pledging an iron-fisted crackdown on rebels, has been quick to launch operations against armed groups.

“I have given instructions to move forward with all the operations that were put on hold by the previous administration. There will be no respite for the bandits,” declared the president on August 9, just two days after his inauguration.

The next day, he ordered the first bombing campaign of his presidency, targeting National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas in the eastern Catatumbo region.

The attack killed two insurgents and led to the seizure of explosives, according to the government. It also injured three farmers caught in the crossfire, as reported by local media.

The ELN was quick to retaliate, carrying out a drone attack on the night of August 13 that killed a soldier and injured four others.

The Defensoría del Pueblo – the government human rights ombudsman – also said in a statement on August 15 that six civilians had been injured by explosives dropped by drones.

“We are issuing an urgent call to ensure the protection of the communities that remain in the area,” read the statement.

Local authorities in Cauca, a province on Colombia’s western flank, have also warned that civilians are being drawn into the conflict between rebels and state security forces.

Combat around the municipality of Cajibío has left 12 soldiers and six civilians injured, according to media reports. 

The clashes have left a further 600 people forcibly confined in their homes, complicating access to food, medicine, and education. 

“At this moment, the civilian population is caught in the middle of an armed conflict. Communities remain confined, while attacks keep them under threat and put their lives and safety at risk,” said Cauca Governor Octavio Guzmán in a statement last Tuesday.

Most recently three police officers were kidnapped in Catatumbo yesterday while travelling on the main highway connecting Ocaña with the provincial capital of Cúcuta.

The president condemned the incident and threatened retaliation for attacks against state security forces. 

“Our police officers and soldiers must be respected. Anyone who dares to attack them will face the full force of the law,” de la Espriella wrote on X. 

Defense Minister Jorge Mora suggested the wave of attacks were in retaliation for the government’s recent offensive in the region.

The tit-for-tat attacks threaten to further escalate the conflict in Catatumbo, which last year saw a mass displacement event affecting some 92,000 people, according to the UN. 

Some media reports suggest locals are already fleeing the region.

“Civilians usually bear the brunt of the violence, often caught in the middle of armed confrontations,” said Glaeldys González, Colombia analyst at the International Crisis Group.

She added that de la Espriella’s militant approach to tackling armed groups is unlikely to dislodge them from areas like Cauca and Catatumbo.

“In some areas, they are so deeply embedded in the communities that military pressure alone is unlikely to dislodge them,” the analyst told Latin America Reports.

But the new president appears to be gearing up for a larger wave of attacks, recently signing a bilateral defense deal with the United States that could lead to joint operations on Colombian soil.

While González noted the details of that agreement are unclear, de la Espriella’s first two weeks in office appear to signal the president’s intention to fulfil his pledge of using military might to combat armed groups.

Featured image description: Soldiers in the Colombian army.

Featured image credit: @MinDefensa via X