The Foreign Office has issued an urgent update, slapping three destinations in Colombia with 'do not travel' warnings. South America holidaymakers are being put on alert as the FCDO shares new guidance.
Updated Travel Advice
Issuing an update on Tuesday, May 19, the FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to the department capitals of Arauca and Puerto Carreno. Additionally, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the whole of Cauca department, except for the department capital Popayan.
Escalating Conflict
The warning comes as civilians in Colombia face increasing danger from a new front in the country's decades-old conflict. Earlier this month, a drone packed with explosives was discovered near Bogotá's international airport and an adjacent military base. The ongoing war involves guerrillas, paramilitary groups, drug traffickers, and state forces, resulting in over 450,000 deaths and millions displaced.
Humberto de la Calle, Colombia's former vice-president, commented: 'The old guerrillas tried a thousand times to get missiles and never succeeded. With drones, I think strategically we are at a point where we must stop the ways we are being attacked from the air. This has never happened before in Colombia.'
Martina Rapido Ragozzino, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, noted: 'There are reports of armed groups having anti-drone technology already, which would show they are adapting really fast.' Tiziano Breda, an ACLED senior analyst, added: 'What is concerning is not only the very rapid escalation and frequency of their use, but also the geographical spread.' He linked the surge to the war in Ukraine, where drones are heavily used, and the involvement of Colombian fighters abroad.
