Colombia: Reports of killings of civilians, guerrillas or urban militias as a consequence of military operations in Tunja and Caguan (1997-1998)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 31 March 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | COL34111.E |
| Reference | 5 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Colombia: Reports of killings of civilians, guerrillas or urban militias as a consequence of military operations in Tunja and Caguan (1997-1998), 31 March 2000, COL34111.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad4bc.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No references to military operations in the city of Tunja, capital of the Department of Boyacá, in 1997 or 1998 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
The region surrounding the municipality of San Vicente del Caguan and the basin of the neighbouring Caguan river, in the Department of Caqueta, are reported by various sources to be areas of intense guerrilla, paramilitary and military activity.
In May 1997 President Samper ordered the temporary withdrawal of troops from southern Caquetá, including three military bases on the Caguan river, as a condition for the release of 70 soldiers captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) (AFP 23 May 1997; LAWR 27 May 1997). By mid-September 1997 the military carried out in the region, described as a "guerrilla stronghold," what was perhaps "the most important drive against the leaders of the FARC since 1990" (AFP 23 Sept. 1997). Close to an area of intense fighting, a bomb attack attributed to guerrillas in San Vicente del Caguan resulted in the death of three soldiers and the wounding of four civilians (ibid.). Casualty figures for guerrillas as a result of the operation could not be found among the sources consulted.
A "pre-electoral" guerrilla offensive in March 1998 saw the heaviest fighting "in the southern jungle area of Caguan, where an 'undetermined number' of army troops and rebels have been killed" (AP 10 May 1998; AFP 4 Mar. 1998). At the time, an army commander reportedly stated that "it's difficult getting information from the jungle" (ibid.).
In early march 1997 a FARC offensive resulted in heavy fighting at Quebrada El Billar, on the Caguan river, where the Third Mobile Counter-Insurgency Brigade was decimated (LAWR 21 Apr. 1998; ibid. 11 Aug. 1998). In an attempt to assist the outnumbered brigade, bombers killed "at least four civilians in what the air force said were precision bombing raids on identified military targets" (ibid. 10 Mar. 1998). One Colombian source reports that a pregnant woman, two of her sons and a nephew were killed by the explosion of a bomb that fell approximately five metres away from their home in a location known as Pueblo Nuevo, during the land, river and air counter-offensive against the guerrillas in the Caguan area (zona del Caguan) (El Espectador 6 Mar. 1998). An estimate of the number of guerrilla casualties resulting from this military operation could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In November 1998 the government pulled out security forces from an area "the size of Switzerland" that included the municipality of San Vicente del Caguan, in preparation for peace talks with FARC (AP 10 Nov. 1998; IPS 21 Dec. 1998).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 March 1998. "Colombia Army, Rebels Clash as Preelectoral Violence Intensifies." (NEXIS)
_____. 23 September 1997. "Violence Continues in Colombia as Rebels Kill Two More Candidates." (NEXIS)
_____. 23 May 1997. "Colombian Soldiers Withdraw From New Demilitarized Zone." (NEXIS)
Associated Press (AP) Worldstream. 10 November 1998. Cesar Garcia. "With Troops Out, Colombian Rebels Begin Flexing Muscle." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 May 1998. Javier Baena. "Colombian Guerrillas Offer to Swap Captive Soldiers for Jailed Rebels." (NEXIS)
El Espectador [Bogota]. 6 March 1998. "Ocho sobrevivientes en el Caguán."
Inter Press Service (IPS). 21 December 1998. Maria Isabel Garcia. "Setting the Scene for a Formal Dialogue." (NEXIS)
Latin American Weekly Report (LAWR) [London]. 11 August 1998. "Guerrillas Say Goodbye to Samper; Pastrana Changes Military Chiefs After Heavy Defeats." (NEXIS)
_____. 21 April 1998. "Senior Officers Sacked Over Defeat; Service Chiefs Admit That Changes Are Needed." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 March 1998. "Guerrilla Assault Overshadows Polls; Army Suffers Worst Defeat For Decades in Caqueta." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Andean Newsletter [Lima]. 1997-1998.
IRB Databases.
Latin American Regional Reports: Southern Cone Report [London]. 1997-1998.
Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1997-1998.
World News Connection (WNC).
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International.
Human Rights Watch.
Internet search engines including:
El Espectador [Bogota]. 1997-1998.
Radio Caracol [Bogota]. 1997-1998.
Note: due to the extensive number of recalled articles and the number of localities included in the Caguan region, the latter two search engines were used exclusively for researching events related to the city of Tunja, and for references to civilians killed during the major offensives in the Caguan region reported in international sources.
