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Iran's supreme leader endorses reformist Pezeshkian as new president. He takes oath Tuesday

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Iran's supreme leader endorses reformist Pezeshkian as new president. He takes oath Tuesday
News

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Iran's supreme leader endorses reformist Pezeshkian as new president. He takes oath Tuesday

2024-07-29 12:10 Last Updated At:12:21

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday formally endorsed Masoud Pezeshkian as president, allowing the reformist politician and heart surgeon to take charge of a country weakened by economic sanctions over its nuclear program.

During an endorsement ceremony, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have “supported and helped” Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies.

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FILE - Masoud Pezeshkian, right, sits next to former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref during his campaign rally in Tehran, Iran, on July 3, 2024. In his first official act in office, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Aref, 72, as his first Vice-President. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

FILE - Masoud Pezeshkian, right, sits next to former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref during his campaign rally in Tehran, Iran, on July 3, 2024. In his first official act in office, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Aref, 72, as his first Vice-President. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian sits during his endorsement ceremony to receive official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian sits during his endorsement ceremony to receive official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, gives his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, as acting President Mohammad Mokhber stands at left, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, gives his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, as acting President Mohammad Mokhber stands at left, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, second left, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, acting President Mohammad Mokhber, left, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf listen to the country's national anthem at the start of the official endorsement ceremony of Pezeshkian in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini hangs at rear. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, second left, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, acting President Mohammad Mokhber, left, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf listen to the country's national anthem at the start of the official endorsement ceremony of Pezeshkian in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini hangs at rear. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, second right, and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei listen, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Photos of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, top left, and the late President Ebrahim Raisi, bottom right, are seen. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, second right, and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei listen, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Photos of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, top left, and the late President Ebrahim Raisi, bottom right, are seen. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, sits before giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is seen at right. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, sits before giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is seen at right. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Khamenei criticized European nations for “behaving badly to us” by adopting sanctions, an oil embargo and for calling out alleged human rights abuses.

He also condemned Israel for its actions in Gaza in the deaths of children, women and hospitalized people “who did not shoot a single bullet” against Israeli forces.

“The Zionist regime is showing its ugliest face as a war criminal," said Khamenei, accusing Israel of setting a “new record in assassinations" and cruelty. He also denounced the U.S. Congress for allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the legislative body.

Speaking at the same ceremony, Pezeshkian paid homage to Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s regional military activities, who was killed in U.S. drone attack in 2020. He reiterated his promise to pursue a “constructive and efficient" foreign policy, bolster the rule of law offer equal opportunities to citizens, support families and protect the environment.

In his first official act in office, Pezeshkian appointed Mohammad Reza Aref, 72, as his first vice-president. Aref, who's considered a moderate reformist, held the post between 2001-2005 under former president Mohammad Khatami. Aref holds a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University.

Pezeshkian takes over from his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi whose death in a May helicopter crash that sparked the early election. He will take the oath of office in parliament Tuesday and will have two weeks to form his own cabinet for a vote of confidence in parliament.

The new Iranian president pledged in his election campaign that he would make no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy, embracing Khamenei as the final arbiter in all matters of state. Pezeshkian could bend Iran's foreign policy toward either confrontation or collaboration with the West and faces the constant challenge of hard-liners still pulling the strings in government.

Pezeshkian has tried to walk the line between hard-liners and reformists with whom he has identified. He has repeatedly criticized the U.S. while praising Iran's powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for shooting down a U.S. drone in 2019 which he called a “strong punch in the mount of the Americans.”

Among the pressing challenges Pezeshkian faces is the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and Western fears over enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels with enough of a stockpile to produce several nuclear weapons if it chose.

In April, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel over the war in Gaza, while militia groups armed by Tehran — including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels — have stepped up their own attacks.

Iran has held indirect talks with U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration over its nuclear program but there's been no progress in lifting tough economic sanctions against Tehran.

FILE - Masoud Pezeshkian, right, sits next to former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref during his campaign rally in Tehran, Iran, on July 3, 2024. In his first official act in office, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Aref, 72, as his first Vice-President. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

FILE - Masoud Pezeshkian, right, sits next to former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref during his campaign rally in Tehran, Iran, on July 3, 2024. In his first official act in office, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Aref, 72, as his first Vice-President. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian sits during his endorsement ceremony to receive official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian sits during his endorsement ceremony to receive official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks after giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, as a photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is placed at right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, gives his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, as acting President Mohammad Mokhber stands at left, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, gives his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, as acting President Mohammad Mokhber stands at left, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, second left, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, acting President Mohammad Mokhber, left, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf listen to the country's national anthem at the start of the official endorsement ceremony of Pezeshkian in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini hangs at rear. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, second left, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, acting President Mohammad Mokhber, left, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf listen to the country's national anthem at the start of the official endorsement ceremony of Pezeshkian in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini hangs at rear. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, second right, and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei listen, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Photos of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, top left, and the late President Ebrahim Raisi, bottom right, are seen. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, speaks after receiving official seal of approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, second right, and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei listen, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. Photos of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, top left, and the late President Ebrahim Raisi, bottom right, are seen. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, sits before giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is seen at right. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, sits before giving his official seal of approval to newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, in an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 28, 2024. A photo of the late President Ebrahim Raisi is seen at right. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian president Gustavo Petro said on Monday that he will declare a state of emergency, following a spate of guerrilla attacks in the country's northeast that has killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee their homes.

In a message on X Petro said that he will “declare a state of internal commotion," a measure that enables the executive branch to pass certain kinds of legislation without congressional approval for three months. The measure will go into effect after a decree is signed by the President and his Cabinet, but it can also be invalidated by Colombia's constitutonal court.

Internal commotion decrees were used in the early 2000s by the administration of then-President Álvaro Uribe to increase financing for the military through a special war tax. According to Colombia's constitution, this emergency measure cannot be used to suspend congress or eliminate civil rights. “I hope the judicial system supports us,” Petro wrote on X.

Earlier on Monday Petro had warned that his nation’s military will take offensive actions against the National Liberation Army after the rebels, known as the ELN, unleashed a wave of attacks in Colombia's Catatumbo region, in which at least 80 people have been killed.

“The ELN has chosen the path of war, and that’s what they will get,” Petro wrote in a message on X, in which he accused the rebels of turning into a drug trafficking group and compared their methods to those of Pablo Escobar, the infamous cartel leader who bombed government buildings and murdered his enemies by hiring hundreds of hitmen.

Petro, who was a member of a guerrilla group during his youth, initiated peace talks with the ELN in 2022, after promising in his presidential campaign that he could get the rebels to demobilize within three months of taking office.

But talks have stalled over multiple disagreements about how the rebels would disarm and the kinds of economic reforms that the government would implement in exchange for their disarmament. The ELN has also criticized the government for staging separate negotiations with a breakout group in the country's southwest and angered officials by continuing to kidnap civilians and extort businesses.

On Friday Petro suspended negotiations with the rebels after violence escalated in Catatumbo, a mountainous region that produces around 15% of Colombia's coca crop and is located along the border with Venezuela.

The ELN, which has an estimated 6,000 fighters, reportedly attacked civilians it accused of being collaborators of a rival group, the FARC-EMC, taking people from their homes and shooting them in the streets, while in rural areas firefights broke out between members of both groups.

In a statement issued on Monday ELN leader Antonio García said that his organization does not intend to target civilians, but has been going after former rebel fighters who are now collaborating with the FARC-EMC.

Over the weekend, however, thousands of people fled towns in the Catatumbo region, fearing for their lives, including community leaders who had been threatened by the ELN. Among those fleeing were former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who demobilized in a 2016 peace deal with the government, and have now been targeted by the ELN.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Colombia said Monday that the new wave of violence in Catatumbo has displaced 18,300 people, who are staying in shelters and hotels in the cities of Tibu, Ocaña and Cúcuta, where officials have warned of a looming humanitarian crisis.

Sandra Tijaro, a farmer in northeastern Colombia, said in an interview she fled her village on Friday after armed men showed up and told everyone to evacuate. She is now staying with her children at a shelter in Tibu.

“We want the armed groups to think about the welfare of rural folks,” she said. “We are hard-working people who end up carrying the burden of this conflict.”

The 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia led to the demobilization of 11,000 fighters. However it left a power vacuum in some rural areas that smaller rebel groups have tried to fill, with the government struggling to reduce violence against civilians.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Police guard a school serving as a shelter for people displaced by violence in the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Tibu, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Police guard a school serving as a shelter for people displaced by violence in the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Tibu, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Police patrol in Tibu, Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, where dozens have been killed amid clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Police patrol in Tibu, Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, where dozens have been killed amid clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

People displaced by violence in the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), take shelter at a school in Tibu, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

People displaced by violence in the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), take shelter at a school in Tibu, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

People displaced by violence in the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), take shelter at a school in Tibu, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

People displaced by violence in the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), take shelter at a school in Tibu, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Soldiers inspect a car riddled with bullets where a family was shot and killed in Tibu, Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region, where dozens have been killed amid clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Soldiers inspect a car riddled with bullets where a family was shot and killed in Tibu, Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region, where dozens have been killed amid clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Soldiers patrol a road in Tibu in Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, where dozens have been killed amid clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Soldiers patrol a road in Tibu in Colombia's northeastern Catatumbo region, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, where dozens have been killed amid clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

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