Colombia: Bishop calls for an end to the suffering of thousands of people affected by armed strike in Chocó

The Bishop of Istmina-Tadó (Colombia), Bishop Mario Álvarez Gómez, regretted that once again thousands of people from the department of Chocó are affected by an armed strike, for which he asked to stop this suffering that causes displacement and confinement through dialogue.

On August 9, the Omar Gómez Western War Front of the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced an indefinite armed strike in the areas of the San Juan, Sipí and Cajón rivers, and the Nóvita-Torrá highway starting at midnight on August 11.

In a statement, the guerrilla assures that the reason is to “prevent the population from being affected” by the “heavy fighting” it maintains with the Clan del Golfo in the area of ​​the San Juan River.

However, the governor of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, has warned that the armed group’s announcement is forcing some 50,000 people to remain confined to their homes.

In that sense, in statements to RCN NewsBishop Álvarez indicated this Monday the 12th that although a massive arrival of people has not yet been observed in the city of Istmina, “some families have arrived.” He clarified that the majority have not yet been able to move “because they are blocked at the mouth of the Sipí River, in the middle of San Juan and also in the area of ​​the Torá River.”

In that sense, the bishop indicated that he receives information from the priests who are in the area about the humanitarian situation, so that the Catholic Church can support in whatever way possible.

Bishop Álvarez regretted that an armed strike is continually repeated in Chocó with the consequences that this brings. For this reason, he made an urgent call for the armed groups and the central government to “sit down and talk.”

On February 10, the ELN declared another armed strike in this department in the north-west of Colombia. At that time The Ombudsman’s Office pointed out that the measure forced some 27,000 people to lock themselves in their homes.

In the case of the new measure, this occurs in the midst of the freezing of the negotiating table between the government of Gustavo Petro and the ELN, which has prevented the extension of the bilateral ceasefire that expired on August 3.

“How long are we going to have civil society, citizens, subjected to an irrational war, where all possibility of living in peace is cut off,” said the bishop.

Mons. Álvarez said that he frequently has meetings with the governor, the mayor of Quibdó, the leaders of the public forces and “with the people responsible for the different groups, always in the tone of the call for dialogue.”

“We as a Church do not stop accompanying and being with our communities, giving them value, encouraging them, but it is very painful when they do not listen to this call to dialogue, each one seeks their interests and suffering, violence, death, hunger comes. to these communities,” he said.