Paramilitaries assassinated the social leader and president of the Agromining Federation of the South of Bolívar, Narciso Beleño, on April 21 in his home in the municipality of Santa Rosa, Bolívar. This crime occurred amid the incursion in the region by the Gulf Clan which began on April 18. The paramilitary group has gone on a rampage in the region, raiding homes, kidnapping residents, and killing several people.
Narciso Beleño was a renowned peasant leader from the South of Bolívar. In addition to being president of Fedeagromisbol, he was a leader committed to peace, to the permanence of communities in the territories, a dignified life, and human rights.
In the region, Beleño supported and worked on initiatives and proposals of the communities that favored a political solution to the internal conflict in Colombia. On several occasions he emphasized that peace required social changes. In recent months, he had strongly denounced and warned about the presence of paramilitaries in the region and demanded solutions from the Government.
Hours after denouncing the latest Gulf Clan incursion, he was murdered by armed men who arrived at his house in Santa Rosa.
The murder of peasant leader Narciso Beleño sparked outrage throughout the country. For its part, the UN condemned the crime and demanded that the Colombian State take action to arrest those responsible and provide guarantees for the social leaders and communities of Sur de Bolívar.
In 2023, Narciso Beleño and those who make up Fedeagromisbol received threats from the Gulf Clan.
Paramilitary raid in Arenal, Sur de Bolívar
Since April 18, several social organizations have denounced the incursion of the paramilitary Clan del Golfo group (self-proclaimed Gaitanista Army of Colombia -EGC-) in the South of Bolívar, in the rural area of the municipalities of Arenal, Santa Rosa del Sur, and Morales.
In the raid, a large group of paramilitaries murdered two residents and kidnapped residents. Social organizations have also condemned the forced displacement of communities.
On April 18, paramilitaries arrived in the town of San Agustín – also known as Mina Proyecto – in the municipality of Arenal. There they invaded the homes of some residents of the community and kidnapped a resident.
At night, the paramilitary group was located on La Guaca hill, near the village, where it returned in the morning hours of April 19. During all this time, the community reported that they blocked access to the Internet, so no one could report what happened.
Presence of paramilitaries in rural area of Morales
Likewise, another group of paramilitaries entered the “Campo Picho” farm in the village of El Porvenir, district of Micoahumado, municipality of Morales on the afternoon of April 18.
Several workers were present at the farm, among them Mr. Eneil Anzola Perilla, who got scared when he saw the paramilitary group and attempted to escape. However, the paramilitaries shot and killed him.
Subsequently, they kidnapped Herney Bermúdez, president of the Community Action Board of the Los Arrayanes village of the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur, and José Humberto Anzola Medina.
On April 19, a delegation of residents went to the place where the paramilitaries murdered Eneil Anzola and recovered his body.
Likewise, part of the community commission searched for the paramilitaries to try to find the two kidnapped people. The paramilitary group only agreed to release Herney Bermúdez and informed the commission of peasants that they were heading towards the village Micoahumado.
The body of José Humberto Anzola Medina was found on the morning of April 20 by a farmer. José Humberto was a farmer who lived in the El Porvenir village and was suspected to be murdered by the paramilitaries on the night of April 19.
Complicity of military and paramilitaries
Since April 18, several social and human rights organizations alerted the national government of the paramilitary incursion of the Gulf Clan in the South of Bolívar.
Likewise, organizations and communities have been demanding that the State dismantle paramilitarism for years. However, the Petro Government and other State institutions have not taken concrete action to confront these groups.
Likewise, the communities reiterate their complaints against the military forces, whom they accuse of being permissive and complicit with the Gulf Clan.
In fact, social organizations reported that they spoke with officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior on several occasions to report the situation.
Despite that several security councils have been held to analyze the situation of the rural areas of Santa Rosa del Sur, Morales and Arenal, no actions have been taken to guarantee life and permanence in the territory of the communities.
These complaints made by social organizations and the community are not new. In January 2023, the communities of the Dos Ríos region carried out a regional strike in La Lizama (Santander) to demand that the State dismantle paramilitarism.
Since 2022, the communities have denounced the paramilitary advance of the Gulf Clan in the Dos Ríos Region (South of Bolívar, Northeast and Bajo Cauca Antioqueño and South of Cesar).
This article was translated from Spanish and adapted from an article published on Colombia Informa.
