Bogota, March 18 (RHC)-- The Colombian government has suspended in three departments the bilateral ceasefire with the Central General Staff (CGS), the main dissidence of the FARC, after that group attacked an indigenous community in the southwest of the country on Saturday.

Ivan Velasquez, the Minister of Defense ordered by a decree signed by him "suspend the Bilateral and Temporary National Ceasefire with Territorial Impact (CFBTNT) between the National Government and the Central General Staff of the FARC-EP in the departments of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca."

The decree ruled "the resumption of offensive military operations and police operations from 00:00 on March 20, 2024 against the structures of the Central General Staff of the FARC-EP present in the Departments of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca."

Since last year, the Government and the EMC have been conducting a peace negotiation, the result of which on 17 October they initiated a bilateral and temporary ceasefire, which was extended for six months in January until July 15th.

Saturday’s attack was perpetrated by the insurgent column Dagoberto Ramos in the village of La Bodega, in Toribío (Cauca), when the community tried to prevent members of that armed group from taking away an indigenous minor, according to the Indigenous Cabildos Association of Toribío, Tacueyó and San Francisco.

The cabildos pointed out that "the response by these criminals, without word, was to shoot indiscriminately at the community," leaving seriously wounded Carmelina Yuli Paví, guard and leader of the Nasa people of Toribío, and the community member Rodrigo Ul Musicué.

The Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, described what happened as a violation of the bilateral ceasefire, and the Association of Indigenous Cabildos stated that attacks such as yesterday, perpetrated by a group that negotiates peace with the Government, "lead to the physical and cultural extermination of our communities."