[2][3] The Catatumbo campaign has been an ongoing period of strategic violence between militia faction groups in the region since January 2018 and a part of the war on drugs;[4] it was developed after a 2016 peace agreement between the country's government (under the presidency of Juan Manuel Santos) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as an attempt to end the Colombian conflict.
[9] ELN militants were allegedly killing civilians they accused of being collaborators of the FARC dissidents, kidnapping people from their homes and shooting them in the streets.
[12][13] On 18 January, the mayor of Ocaña prepared the city stadium to receive the displaced and asked the national government to declare a state of emergency.
[17] A $700,000-reward was later offered for information leading to the capture of four ELN leaders: Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, Eliecer Herlinto Chamorro, Gustavo Aníbal Giraldo Quinchía and Israel Ramírez Pineda.
[25] Colombian Defense Ministers Ivan Velasquez Gomez met with Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino López in San Cristóbal to discuss the situation and confirmed a military operation with the collaboration of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to fight the ELN on the border with Venezuela.
[26] On 25 January, the 30th Combat Engineering Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Miller Fernando Moreno also successfully conducted a special operation in the urban area of Tibú[24] following artillery strikes the day prior.
[28] On 27 January, further fighting continued[29] and 13 dead bodies of FARC combatants including women and two child soldiers were discovered by the authorities in the villages of Vegas de Oriente, San José de Vegas and El Rosario, in the district of La Cecilia,[30] three more bodies including a child were recovered later that day.
[47] On 7 February, the National Army reports that the ELN started taking refuge in civilian homes and using residential areas as "human shields".
[52] On January 24, President Petro issued a decree giving himself emergency powers to restore order in the Catatumbo region for a period of 270 days.
[19] On 29 January, the Columbian government announced new temporary taxes to address the crisis in Catatumbo, on gambling, oil and coal exploration, and duty.
[60] The Government of the Cesar Department sent humanitarian aid to the towns of González and Río de Oro, which border the Catatumbo region, anticipating the arrival of refugees.
[61][62] In addition, the Mayor of Cúcuta, Jorge Acevedo said that over 11,000 internally displaced persons have arrived at the city since the start of the conflict and requested further assistance from the national government.
[65] The Colombian energy company Ecopetrol said that it would restrict work and movement at the Tibu oil field and the Sardinata gas plant in Catatumbo.
[67] 120 social leaders from Catatumbo protested in Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá demanding a meeting with the national government[68] but withdrew following negotiations for better provision of services.
[70] Colombian Ombudsman Iris Marín stated that “Catatumbo seals the political death of the ELN.”[71] On 3 February, in a statement, the FARC-EP dissidents accused the ELN of treason.
[75] On January 19, the Ministry of Interior of Venezuela said it has assisted 812 refugees in the border town of Jesús María Semprún [es], in Zulia State.
[76] On January 24, Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino López declared that "Venezuela will not serve as a platform for criminal organizations" and that they will seek to work with Colombian authorities to find a peaceful solution for the conflict.