More than 200 people have fled López de Micay in Cauca after attacks by the National Liberation Army (ELN) [1].
The mass displacement signals a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region, where guerrilla incursions are forcing rural populations to abandon their homes to avoid abduction and violence.
The Colombian Ombudsman's Office issued an alert on Friday, July 10, regarding the crisis [2]. According to the agency, more than 70 families [1], with some reports citing at least 75 families [3], have moved from López de Micay toward the rural areas of Buenaventura in the Valle del Cauca department [1].
Community members said ELN fighters carried out kidnappings and stole food supplies from farmers [2]. The violence began in early July, leading to a wave of forced migration as families sought safety from the armed group [2], [4].
The human cost of the incursions remains high. Reports indicate that seven men were kidnapped during the attacks [3]. Additionally, there has been no news for eight days regarding a woman who was also abducted [3].
Local authorities and the Ombudsman's Office said the situation is a humanitarian crisis [4]. The displaced populations are currently arriving in Buenaventura, seeking refuge and basic necessities after the loss of their livelihoods and security in Cauca [1].
"More than 70 families, integrated by nearly 200 people, are displacing from López de Micay to Buenaventura," the Ombudsman's Office said [1].
“More than 70 families, integrated by nearly 200 people, are displacing from López de Micay to Buenaventura.”
The displacement of civilians from Cauca to Buenaventura highlights the persistent volatility of Colombia's Pacific coast. The ELN's tactics of food theft and kidnapping create an environment of terror that renders rural farming unsustainable, driving populations into urban peripheries and increasing the burden on municipal social services in receiving cities like Buenaventura.
