Bullets from the mountains gave them no choice but to leave
In the mountains of Nariño, southwestern Colombia, the ancient contest over land and its hidden economies has once again consumed the lives of ordinary people. Since May 11, 2026, rival armed factions—FARC dissidents, the ELN, and paramilitary groups—have fought for control of drug and mining corridors, forcing more than a thousand families from their homes in the municipalities of Los Andes-Sotomayor and Linares. Roads have closed, curfews have fallen, and a coliseum built for sport now shelters the elderly, the young, and the disabled. What unfolds here is not merely a local emergency but a recurring chapter in the long story of communities caught between the state's reach and the armed economy's grip.
- Three armed factions are waging open war over drug trafficking routes and illegal mining corridors, making entire stretches of Nariño too dangerous to inhabit or even traverse.
- The main highway linking Los Andes-Sotomayor to the regional capital Pasto has been effectively severed, leaving nearly 10,000 residents cut off and subject to a nightly curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- On the afternoon of May 12, roughly 1,000 people fled five rural villages in Linares as gunfire from surrounding hills made staying home impossible, with the elderly, children, and disabled among those forced to abandon everything.
- A municipal coliseum in Linares has been converted into an emergency shelter, while local authorities scramble to deliver humanitarian aid to populations with acute and immediate needs.
- Security councils are meeting to decide whether mobility restrictions will extend beyond their initial timeline, but officials have offered no clear horizon for when normal life might resume.
Two municipalities in Nariño, Colombia's southwestern department, have been pushed to the edge of normalcy since May 11, 2026. Armed factions competing for control of drug trafficking routes and illegal mining operations have turned the region into an active conflict zone, displacing roughly 1,120 people from their homes. The roads are closed, the nights are governed by curfew, and the situation remains unresolved.
Los Andes-Sotomayor, home to nearly 10,000 people and located 84 kilometers from the regional capital Pasto, has been effectively cut off. The highway to Pasto is too dangerous to use as three groups—the Franco Benavides structure of the FARC dissidents, the ELN, and the United Self-Defenses of Nariño—battle over a strategic corridor connecting to the Western Range. Local authorities banned vehicle and pedestrian traffic on two key road segments and imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through May 14. The municipal ombudsman acknowledged the gravity of the crisis but could offer no timeline for when movement might safely resume.
The neighboring municipality of Linares bore an even more immediate blow. On the afternoon of May 12, approximately 1,000 people fled five rural communities—La Cocha, Tambillo de Bravos, Pueblo Viejo, Parapetos, and El Arenal—after gunfire from the surrounding hills made remaining home impossible. These villages sit directly on the border with Los Andes-Sotomayor, placing them at the heart of the conflict zone. Residents described bullets raining from the mountains, leaving them no choice but to abandon their properties.
The displaced arrived at Linares's municipal coliseum, hastily converted into an emergency shelter. Among them were elderly people, children, and individuals with disabilities—those least equipped to weather a sudden rupture in daily life. Local authorities scrambled to provide humanitarian assistance in a space designed for sport, not survival. The armed groups responsible—the Franco Benavides front and the ELN's Comuneros del Sur faction—show no sign of relenting, and officials have given no indication of when these two communities might reclaim something resembling ordinary life.
Two municipalities in Nariño, a department in southwestern Colombia, have become nearly unreachable in the past few days. Armed groups fighting over drug trafficking routes and illegal mining operations have turned the region into a war zone, forcing roughly 1,120 people from their homes since May 11. The displacement is ongoing, the roads are closed, and the nights belong to a curfew.
Los Andes-Sotomayor, a municipality of nearly 10,000 people located 84 kilometers from Pasto, the regional capital, has been cut off since Monday. The main highway connecting the town to Pasto is now too dangerous to use. Gunfire erupts regularly in the surrounding hills as three armed factions—the Franco Benavides structure of the FARC dissidents, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defenses of Nariño—battle for territorial control. The municipality sits in a strategic corridor that provides access to the Western Range, making it valuable real estate in an economy built on narcotics and clandestine mining.
The local government responded with restrictions that amount to a partial lockdown. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic has been banned on two key road segments: the route from Sotomayor to Puente Junín, and the path from the rural area El Arenal to the Guaítara River. Residents have been told not to travel unless absolutely necessary and to stay away from areas where fighting is occurring. The municipal ombudsman, Nataly, acknowledged the severity of the situation but admitted uncertainty about when normal movement might resume. A security council meeting was scheduled to reassess the restrictions, but as of her statement, no clear timeline existed.
On the evening of May 12, the municipality imposed a curfew running from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective through May 14. The stated purpose was to protect residents' lives and safety. People were instructed to remain indoors during those hours and avoid unnecessary movement or gatherings.
The situation in the neighboring municipality of Linares proved even more acute. On the afternoon of May 12, approximately 1,000 people fled five rural areas—La Cocha, Tambillo de Bravos, Pueblo Viejo, Parapetos, and El Arenal—after gunfire from nearby mountains made staying in their homes untenable. These villages sit on the border with Los Andes-Sotomayor, placing them directly in the conflict zone. Residents described the terror of bullets fired from the hills, a threat that gave them no choice but to abandon their property and seek shelter elsewhere.
The displaced families arrived at Linares's municipal coliseum, which became an emergency shelter. Among those who fled were elderly people, children, and individuals with disabilities—populations with acute needs and limited ability to fend for themselves in a crisis. They required immediate humanitarian assistance and institutional support that local authorities scrambled to provide. The coliseum, designed for sporting events, became a refuge for people who had lost access to their homes, their livelihoods, and any sense of security.
In Linares, the armed groups driving the displacement are the Franco Benavides front of the FARC dissidents and the Comuneros del Sur, a faction of the ELN dissidents. Like their counterparts in Los Andes-Sotomayor, they are locked in a territorial struggle with high stakes and no apparent off-ramp. The displacement appears to be a direct consequence of their fighting, not a deliberate tactic, but the result is the same: families torn from their homes, vulnerable people in emergency shelters, and two municipalities functioning under emergency protocols. The security situation remains fluid, and officials have not indicated when normal conditions might return.
Citas Notables
The measure seeks to protect the life and integrity of inhabitants. Authorities recommended remaining in homes during the established hours, avoiding unnecessary movement, and not participating in gatherings.— Los Andes-Sotomayor municipal government, on the curfew decision
I don't have clear information yet. In the afternoon there will be a security council to analyze the situation and whether mobility restrictions will continue longer.— Nataly, municipal ombudsman of Los Andes-Sotomayor
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does control of this particular region matter so much to these armed groups?
Los Andes-Sotomayor sits in a strategic corridor—it's the gateway to the Western Range of Nariño. That geography gives whoever controls it access to drug trafficking routes and illegal mining operations. In a region where those economies drive power and revenue, geography is everything.
So the displacement is a side effect of the fighting, not the goal?
Exactly. These groups are fighting each other for territorial control. The families fleeing aren't targets; they're obstacles in a war zone. When bullets start coming from the mountains, people leave. It's survival.
What happens to those 1,000 people in the coliseum? Is that temporary?
That's the question no one can answer yet. The municipal ombudsman said they were waiting for a security council meeting to assess the situation. There's no clear timeline for when it's safe for people to return home—or if they even have homes to return to.
The curfew is only three days. Does that suggest officials think the fighting will end quickly?
It's hard to say. The curfew might be a holding measure while they gather information. But these territorial disputes between FARC dissidents, the ELN, and paramilitaries don't typically resolve in days. The restrictions could easily extend.
Who are the most vulnerable people in this situation?
The elderly, children, and people with disabilities who fled to the coliseum. They have the fewest resources to cope with displacement, the hardest time adapting to emergency shelter, and the greatest need for institutional support that may not exist in sufficient quantity.
Is there any indication this conflict might spread to other municipalities?
The source doesn't say, but the geography suggests it could. If these groups are fighting over a strategic corridor, neighboring areas could easily become contested territory. The displacement could grow.