On March 3, President Gustavo Petro stated that civil society organisations of Catatumbo are “permeated” and “subordinated” to armed groups. Besides being unjustified and unacceptable, this statement endangers the members of these organisations and legitimises the violence they, as well as the civilian population of Catatumbo in general, have been enduring since mid-January. Several Colombian human rights organisations have called on the President to retract on these remarks. We urge President Petro to stop making such stigmatising statements and, instead, be open to dialogue and to the participation of local organisations in the implementation of human rights centred solutions to the Catatumbo crisis.
