The situation in Catatumbo took center stage during Colombia’s second televised council of ministers last night, with a recovery plan unveiled to solve the local conflict. The meeting, which marked the debut of several new ministers, lasted over two and a half hours and was broadcast in prime time by both public and private television networks.
Following the controversy of the first council—which triggered a government crisis and led to the departure of multiple cabinet members—this session addressed various national issues but was largely dominated by discussions on the worsening violence in Catatumbo region since January.
Key topics included the deployment of more than 10,000 troops to combat illegal armed groups and the government’s investment plans in infrastructure, health, and education. Additionally, Petro’s ministers outlined projects aimed at replacing coca leaf cultivation as part of broader efforts to stabilize the region.
Catatumbo takes center stage in Colombia’s second televised ministerial council
Last night, the government aired its second council of ministers live on television. With a noticeably calmer tone than the first meeting a month ago, President Petro’s government addressed various issues, but the situation in the Catatumbo region took center stage.
Since January, this northeastern region bordering Venezuela has faced an outbreak of violence due to clashes between illegal armed groups vying for control of illicit economies and drug trafficking routes. The violence has greatly affected the civilian population, with confinements and displacements not seen in years in Colombia
In response, the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Pedro Sanchez, confirmed that 10,500 soldiers have been deployed in Catatumbo to combat criminal structures, urging the insurgents to demobilize.
“As Minister of Defense, I open my arms to them. I tell them: I am waiting for them, all the people are waiting for them to stop murdering our peasants”, said Sanchez, after stating that several dozens of individuals have already surrendered to Colombian State’s security forces.
The minister also confirmed that the ELN guerrillas were responsible for 71 murders since the violence erupted a month and a half ago and announced that the State is offering rewards for information leading to the capture of Catatumbo’s top armed groups leaders.
Colombia’s government unveils ‘Plan Catatumbo’
President Gustavo Petro announced, within the framework of the “state internal commotion”, the government’s measures for “Plan Catatumbo”, an initiative aimed at eradicating 25,000 hectares of coca leaf, promoting legal coca crops by developing market access, and advancing the peace process in the region.
- Crop eradication
Petro declared that the government aims at eliminating 25,000 out of 55,000 hectares of coca cultivation in Catatumbo. However, he emphasized that “We are not going to do it by traditional fumigation methods. It is prohibited by the Constitution, in my opinion, it is unconstitutional, not only illegal”.
“We are not going to wage war against the peasantry of Catatumbo,” he added, claiming his administration will rather “seek an alliance” with local farmers to ensure of Catatumbo fundamental for Catatumbo to progress and be a peaceful region,” he assured.
Instead, the government will launch a voluntary crop eradication payment system, compensating farmers for removing coca plants. “Cultivation is not coca leaf, cultivation is not cutting the bush leaving the root buried, it is not useful. Paying for crop eradication is the whole bush including its roots. It is what prevents it from sprouting again,” explained the President.
He also suggested to grant the recovered land to local peasants to fight back against ELN armed group’s forced displacement policy.
Additionally, he highlighted the region’s potential for cultivating alternative crops such as cocoa, coffee, and onions but stressed the need for proper infrastructure to ensure market access.
- Road infrastructure for mobilizing agricultural products
To accelerate the impact of crop substitution programs, the government aims to fast-rack road paving projects, improving connectivity and ensuring farmers can swiftly access markets. Currently, the lack of efficient road network excludes Catatumbo from the rest of Colombia, forcing farmers to spend over 12 hours transporting goods by land to the Caribbean coast or Bogota.
- Resources
President Gustavo Petro addressed the funding of projects under the Internal Commotion decree, stating that the government will allocate 2.7 trillion COP (approximately US$655 million) to carry out its plans.
He emphasized that the new taxes to generate these resources “are not levied on the Colombian population” but instead target specific sectors, such as gambling and the export of oil and coal.
Finance Minister Diego Guevara detailed the revenue strategy, aiming to collect one trillion COP (approximately US$242 million) in the initial phase of the Internal Commotion, with a total of three trillion COP (approximately US$728 million) expected by year’s end.
The measures include a 19% tax on online gambling, a 1% levy on the first sale or export of coal and oil, and a 1% stamp tax.
Improving the hospital network in Catatumbo
Completing the recovery plan for Catatumbo, the Colombian government plans massive investments in healthcare infrastructures.
The Minister of Health, Guillermo Jaramillo, stated that his Ministry has already allocated 51 billion COP (approximately US$12.4 million) to Catatumbo for upgrading basic healthcare equipment, restoring health posts and constructing or improving hospitals.
“We are going to recover 53 health posts that there were abandoned or closed” that will be reopened, announced the minister.
Using a presentation, he highlighted the site where a major health center will be built with a 36 billion COP (approximately US$8.7 million) investment.
Regarding hospital infrastructure, Jaramillo revealed plans to establish two hospital centers, one of them as a mobile facility. “This would complete the infrastructure needed for hospitals in Catatumbo, along with the 53 health posts and the additional facilities currently being planned.”
The minister explained that the final objective is “to reach Catatumbo with no less than 70 health posts that will provide services throughout the territory.”
‘Higher Education must align with the realities of Catatumbo’
Education is the final pillar of the recovery plan.
The Minister of Education, Daniel Rojas, announced that the contracting process for modular structures to expand educational opportunities in the region has already begun. These structures, expected to be manufactured and installed within two to three months, will create additional spaces for university education in rural areas.
“We have already started with the Higher Institute of Rural Education (ISER), the University of Pamplona and soon with the Industrial University of Santander (UIS), offering programs within secondary education institutions that reach the last grade of secondary education. This amount of 20.8 billion COP (approximately US$5 million) will provide economic support for the sustainability and permanence of students during two semesters this year,” said Rojas.
In addition, a request for 93 billion COP (approximately US$22.5 million) was announced to guarantee the School Meals Program (PAE) beyond the school term, so that students’ families can continue to receive this benefit even during school breaks.
One of the key points emphasized by the ministers was the need for higher education to align with the region’s economic dynamics. In this regard, the Minister of Education outlined a plan to integrate public vocational training, provided by the SENA institute, with university education.
“If a higher education institution offers programs unrelated to local production, it ends up driving young people away from their communities. We need SENA to play a fundamental role by extending technical and technological programs to all schools in the region, so students can apply their knowledge within their own territory,” said President Petro, just before the minister elaborated on the proposal.
Petro further suggested that SENA’s technological programs should allow for a seamless transition to undergraduate university programs without administrative barriers. “Public universities should not impose obstacles for SENA graduates. The transition must be transparent because, today, vocational education is higher education,” he emphasized.