Tras horas de tensión, regresan libres los 18 soldados retenidos en el Chocó
En la noche del lunes 22 de diciembre, fueron liberados los 18 soldados del Ejército Nacional que permanecían retenidos desde el domingo en el municipio de Carmen de Atrato, Chocó, tras una jornada de diálogo encabezada por la Defensoría del Pueblo y autoridades regionales.
TL;DR
- 18 soldiers were released in Carmen de Atrato, Chocó, on Monday night, December 22nd.
- The soldiers had been detained since Sunday by around 200 individuals.
- The detention occurred during operations against the ELN in the La Puria indigenous reserve.
- Negotiations involving the Ombudsman's Office, the Catholic Church, the Governorate of Chocó, and the Mayor's Office of Carmen de Atrato led to the soldiers' safe release.
- The National Army condemned the incident, highlighting risks to both civilians and military personnel.
- The Governorate of Chocó also condemned the forced detention and called for respect for human rights.
- Authorities suggest criminal organizations may be instrumentalizing community detentions to hinder state action.
- The release occurred on the same day the ELN announced a unilateral ceasefire for the year-end holidays, effective December 24th to January 3rd, 2026.