Thursday, January 23

Warning: This article contains sensitive content that may be inappropriate for young children.

This is our 800th blog post!

At least 80 people have been killed and 32,000 people have been displaced after an outbreak of violence in northeastern Colombia.

The fighting is due to conflict between two armed factions in the northeastern region of Catatumbo. The National Liberation Army (ELN) and groups related to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have recently ramped up operations in the region, as it is crucial to their business.

Catatumbo produces around 15% of Colombia's coca crop, which is used to make the drug cocaine. In addition, the region's close proximity to the Venezuelan border makes it attractive to criminal factions like the ELN and FARC, who work primarily in the field of drug trafficking.

The two groups have had previous battles over Catatumbo, but they reached a peace agreement in recent years that limited the conflict in the area. However, that agreement was shattered last month when the ELN began accusing local citizens of working with FARC, which prompted the organization to slaughter dozens of civilians.

Instead of fighting with them, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has attempted to establish peace with the factions in the past, but those peace talks were quickly suspended after the ELN escalated the fighting. Those efforts have been met with criticism from many Colombians, though, who believe that peace should not be the main objective and the factions should be taken down immediately.

Petro also accused the ELN of committing war crimes and stated earlier in the week that he would declare a "state of internal commotion," which enables him to pass legislation without the approval of Congress for three months. However, it needs to be approved by his Cabinet first, and the country's constitutional court has the ability to strike down the declaration.

Because of the conflict, thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes, heading towards the border with Venezuela. The city of Cucúta alone has received over 15,000 people, with other towns in the area like Ocaña and Tibú receiving thousands of people as well. Some of the displaced people are currently taking refuge in hotels or the homes of friends and family, and the soccer stadium in Cucúta has been temporarily transformed into a center for the displaced civilians-- with officials handing out food, water, and other necessary supplies.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Hot water freezes faster than cold water. This may seem counterintuitive, but the Mpemba effect, as its known, says that the velocities of water particles have specific qualities while they’re hot that allows them to freeze more readily.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. (Oprah Winfrey)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Opine (verb, oh-PYNE) - To opine is to express an opinion about something.

In a Sentence: Many people opine that social media platforms should be better regulated.