The activity of irregular armed groups with control of territory and governance capacity affects the full spectrum of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights, according to a new study by AlertaVenezuela on the actions of mega-gangs (including pseudo-unions), armed colectivo groups and irregular organizations of Colombian origin.
Access to humanitarian response and the ability of humanitarian workers to act freely are being increasingly restricted by the presence of armed actors with control of territory and governance capacity. These groups are also imposing modes of social, cultural, economic and power interaction that disrupt the entire community dynamic.
The growth of these groups occurs in a context of fragmentation of power that generates serious governance problems and constitutes a barrier to the recovery of institutionality, democracy and the rule of law in the country, AlertaVenezuela warns.
However, the human rights situation of the population under the control of irregular armed groups goes unnoticed, especially because the existence of these groups is not even a matter of public debate nor has been incorporated into the agenda for the future governance of Venezuela and the peace process in Colombia.
The study found alarming accounts of the practice of social cleansing by the ELN in at least four states of the country, which makes this organization a paramilitary group rather than an insurrectionary force.
AlertaVenezuela notes with concern the absence of strategies for a political transition that take into account the existence of these armed actors, as many interviewees warned about a potential scenario of resistance and conflict on the part of these groups in the hypothetical case of an opposition victory in the 2024 presidential elections.
The report ends by making a call to both Venezuelan and Colombian political actors and pointing out that it would be delusional to propose dialogue or negotiation processes for the recovery of democracy and the Rule of Law in Venezuela or the success of the Total Peace initiative in Colombia if the presence and role of these actors are not taken into consideration, in the understanding that the existence of binational irregular armed groups requires binational responses.
The report can be consulted HERE
Translated by José Rafael Medina