El Catatumbo, Colombia, Marked by Violence and Social Upheaval

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Issue Apr 22-May 05 2026: Colombia’s El Catatumbo region has long been synonymous with danger, from the early explorations of missionaries such as Bruce Olson and priest Rafael García Herreros in the 1960s, as the two attempted to convert the recalcitrant Indigenous Barí people to Christianity, to the uncontrolled colonization of the region by settlers who brought deforestation and environmental damage with them, to the inception of coca cultivation in the region in the 1990s, as guerrilla groups such as the FARC, ELN and EPL fought for control in the area, resulting in widespread violence.

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