At least 5 reported dead in Colombia after 72-hour ELN offensive

Colombia’s longest-living guerrilla group ELN killed at least five people in 60 attacks that were carried out as part of its 72-hour offensive to shut down or disrupt the economy.

Among those killed are two policemen from the city of Cali and three civilians from the northeastern Norte de Santander province, one of the regions that is largely controlled by the guerrillas.

Since the beginning of the so-called “armed strike” on Sunday, the ELN carried out attacks against security forces and road infrastructure, and shut down traffic with bomb threats in 13 of Colombia’s 32 provinces.

The guerrillas’ Urban War Front, which had threatened security forces and public transport in Bogota and four other major cities, appeared to only have carried out a bomb attack on a police post in Cali.

Another major incident took place on the road between Bucaramanga and Barrancabermeja, where guerrillas attacked toll booths, injuring one woman.

The lockdown succeeded in shutting down economic activity in parts of the western Choco province and in the Catatumbo region.

These regions have long been controlled by the ELN.

The guerrillas announced the armed strike as a protest against the “neocolonial plan” of US President Donald Trump in South America.

The ELN has long been supportive of the revolutionary government in Venezuela, which has become one of the main targets of US aggression since Trump took office earlier this year.

The guerrillas have allegedly been active in the west and the south of Venezuela, where they would be involved in illegal mining activity.

In Colombia, the ELN controls the border with Venezuela from the northern province La Guajira to to the northeastern Arauca province.

This territorial control has given the guerrillas significant influence on illegal economies, particularly contraband, in the border region.

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