Colombia vowed “war” against left-wing guerrillas today, declaring a state of emergency and deploying thousands of soldiers to contain a wave of violence t

At least 80 people are dead and more than 11,000 have been forced to flee their homes in Colombia, officials say, amid fierce clashes between two rival armed groups on the border with Venezuela.

The unusually deadly violence delivers a devastating blow to the “total peace” program of the country’s first leftist president, Gustavo Petro.

Colombia declared a state of emergency and launched a military offensive against left-wing guerrillas following violence that claimed over 100 lives, threatening the peace process. The unrest spread across three departments,

More than 80 people were killed in the country’s northeast over the weekend following the government’s failed attempts to hold peace talks with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian official said.

More than 8,000 civilians fled the violence, with many seeking shelter in government facilities or hiding in the mountains.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro says he will declare an emergency over the guerrilla attacks in the northeast that have killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee

The criminal war in northeast Colombia has escalated, as intense fighting between two Colombian guerrilla groups erupted in the Catatumbo region, a key cocaine production hub and criminal hotspot along the Venezuelan border.

Venezuela closed its borders and airspace to Colombia on Friday, the day President Nicolas Maduro is to be sworn in as the country's highest authority.

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

At least 80 people were killed in northeast Colombia following failed attempts at peace talks with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian official said.

At least 80 people are dead and more than 18,000 have been forced to flee their homes in Colombia, officials say, amid fierce clashes between two rival armed groups on the border with Venezuela.