A community council in the Pacific region of Nariño declared itself in a state of urgent humanitarian alert: 'We are forced to leave everything behind'

NewsThere is fear over the actions of illegal armed groups in the municipality of Magüí Payán, on the Pacific coast. Communities in Magüí Payán fear mass displacement. Photo: Private14.11.2026 16:55 Updated: 14.11.2026 17:18 The Manos Amigas del Patía Grande Community Council, in the municipality of Magüí Payán, on the Pacific coast of Nariño, issued an urgent humanitarian alert due to confinement and the imminent risk of mass forced displacement caused by the actions of armed groups that trigger combat with the Army. The warning was made as of last November 12, in a communication addressed to the Ombudsman's Office, the UN Human Rights Office in Colombia, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Delegate Ombudsman's Office for Ethnic Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, among other entities. The Public Force is carrying out operations to take control of the area. Photo: National ArmyIn the letter, the ancestral ethnic authority of the Manos Amigas del Patía Grande Community Council, which lives in the municipality of Magüí Payán, located in the Telembí Triangle, announced that it raises its voice of protest, but with fear and anger."They are going to displace us again and we cannot take any more," the social organization stressed. READ ALSO It then stated: "On October 27, 2026, National Army troops entered our titled collective territory without notice, without consultation, without respecting our autonomy as our own government."'We have a direct order to reach the top'When the community had asked the troop commander for an explanation about their presence in the area, the response was reportedly blunt: "We have a direct order to go all the way up, to the high zone." Authorities seek to prevent armed groups from generating displacement in the area. Photo: Omega Task ForceThe social organization has its own interpretation of the same response: "We all know what going all the way up in the Patía Grande means. It means combat. It means that the armed groups up there are going to respond. It means they are going to bomb where we are. It means we are caught in the middle." The hardest hit by the warIn its message to the institutions, the aforementioned community council pointed out that it is one of the territories of the Black community hardest hit by the war in Colombia. It insisted that in less than four years, the community settled in that territory has suffered four forced displacements, with more than 250 families affected. READ ALSO The most recent displacement was only eight months ago, when residents had to rebuild their wooden houses once again and replant their crops in order to sustain themselves."We returned because the territory is our mother, we have nowhere else to go," it stated. The communities settled in the aforementioned community council warned regional and national authorities that the armed conflict has hit them hard over the years.'We are victims of massacres'They stated it thus: "We are victims of massacres, of antipersonnel mines; those of us who are left without bread have to leave everything behind when these confrontations arrive from all the actors." The Ombudsman's Office received the warning from the Community Council. Photo: Ombudsman's Office. They then asked themselves: "How many more times do we have to displace ourselves for them to believe that we are at risk?" At the end of the statement, they emphasized that their territory is not an operations zone: "It is our home, our ancestral cemetery, our pharmacy, our life. It is protected by the Political Constitution of Colombia." Mauricio de la RosaSpecial for EL TIEMPOPasto Follow all the news from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO NEWSLETTERSSign up for our newsletters and receive news in your email according to your interests. Stay informed about what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWSFollow us on GOOGLE NEWS. Always stay up to date with the latest news, coverage, stories and analysis directly on Google News. EL TIEMPO WHATSAPPJoin the El Tiempo channel on WhatsApp to stay up to date with the most relevant news as it happens. EL TIEMPO APPStay informed with the EL TIEMPO app. Receive the latest news, coverage, stories and analysis directly on your device. SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL EDITIONReliable information for you. Subscribe to EL TIEMPO and access our journalistic content without limits.