The governor of the Colombian department of Norte de Santander, William Villamizar, declared “a social and economic emergency” in that region in the northeast of the country due to the humanitarian crisis caused by clashes between ELN guerrillas and FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo area (northeast).

Terrified residents carrying backpacks and belongings on overladen motorcycles, boats, or crammed onto the backs of open trucks, fled the region over the weekend.