80 killed in northeast Colombia as peace talks fail, official says 

BOGOTÁ — 

More than 80 radical person been killed successful the country’s northeast portion pursuing failed attempts to clasp bid talks with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian authoritative said.

Twenty others person been injured, according to William Villamizar, politician of North Santander, wherever galore of the killings occurred.

Among the victims are assemblage person Carmelo Guerrero and 7 radical who sought to motion a bid deal, according to a study that a authorities ombudsman bureau released precocious Saturday.

Officials said the attacks occurred successful respective towns located successful the Catatumbo portion adjacent the borderline with Venezuela, with astatine slightest 3 radical who were portion of the bid talks being kidnapped.

Thousands of radical are fleeing the area, with immoderate hiding successful the adjacent lush mountains oregon seeking assistance astatine authorities shelters.

“Catatumbo needs help,” Villamizar said successful a nationalist code Saturday. “Boys, girls, young people, teenagers, full families are showing up with nothing, riding trucks, dump trucks, motorcycles, immoderate they can, connected foot, to debar being victims of this confrontation."

The onslaught comes aft Colombia suspended bid talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) connected Friday, the 2nd clip it has done truthful successful little than a year.

Colombia’s authorities has demanded that the ELN cease each attacks and let authorities to participate the portion and supply humanitarian aid.

The ELN has been clashing successful Catatumbo with erstwhile members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, oregon FARC, a guerrilla radical that disbanded aft signing a bid woody successful 2016 with Colombia's government. The 2 are warring implicit power of a strategical borderline portion that has coca leafage plantations.

The ELN said successful a connection Saturday that it had warned erstwhile FARC members that if they “continued attacking the population...there was nary different mode retired than equipped confrontation.” The ELN has accused ex-FARC rebels of respective killings successful the area, including the Jan. 15 slaying of a mates and their 9-month-old baby.

Colombia's service said Sunday that it rescued a section assemblage person and a comparative that the ELN was persecuting, but dozens much awaited rescue.

Defense Minister Iván Velásquez was scheduled to question to the northeast municipality of Cúcuta portion officials prepared to nonstop 10 tons of nutrient and hygiene kits for astir 5,000 radical successful the communities of Ocaña and Tibú, astir of them having fled the violence.

The ELN has tried to negociate a bid woody with the medication of President Gustavo Petro 5 times, with talks failing aft bouts of violence. ELN demands see that it beryllium recognized arsenic a governmental rebel organization, which critics person said is risky.