Ombudsman denounces humanitarian crisis in Pacific: minors recruited, communities confined on Colombia-Ecuador border

The Ombudsman's Office has issued a stark warning about a severe humanitarian crisis gripping the Pacific region of Colombia and extending to the border with Ecuador. A recent humanitarian mission to the area revealed a desolate landscape marked by extreme poverty and pervasive violence, prompting alerts to authorities regarding the significant risks faced by local communities.

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The expansion of illegal mining represents a structural threat; we verified extensive coca plantations, active mineshafts, and severe impacts from mining operations in Ecuador that did not undergo the prior consultation process with the Awá communities.

The mission, which traversed municipalities in Colombia including Tumaco, Ricaurte, Barbacoas, Mosquera, and Ipiales, as well as Ecuadorian towns like Rumichaca, Tulcán, Maldonado, and the Awá indigenous reserve of Nulpe Alto, confirmed that armed conflict and illegal economies continue to inflict severe damage on indigenous, Afro-descendant, and peasant populations. The weak institutional presence in these territories exacerbates the situation.

Key findings highlight the expansion of illegal mining and coca cultivation as major structural threats. The Ombudsman's regional delegate for Tumaco, Jhon Eyder Viafara Quiñonez, noted that illegal mining operations, including those in Ecuador that bypassed prior consultation with the Awá communities, have caused significant environmental damage. Furthermore, disputes over mining control have led to blockades, preventing the delivery of essential food and goods to indigenous reserves, with one community reportedly going five days without supplies upon the commission's arrival.

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Upon the commission's arrival, the Nulpe people had been without food for five days.

Compounding the crisis, the mission gathered testimonies detailing the forced recruitment of children and adolescents for illegal mining activities, the transport of war materials, and other forms of involvement with illegal armed groups. The region is also experiencing confinement and a humanitarian blockade, as armed actors consistently impede the movement of people and resources, further isolating vulnerable populations.

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We collected direct accounts and individual statements evidencing the forced recruitment of children, adolescents, and their instrumentalization for illegal mining activities, transport of war materials, and other forms of armed affiliation.