300 people flee Colombia’s Catatumbo
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — More than 300 people have fled Colombia’s Catatumbo region to escape fighting by rebel groups, officials said Monday. The displaced have sought shelter in Cúcuta, near the Venezuelan border. Fighting between rebel groups broke out in December in Tibu and El Tarra. Colombia’s government deployed tanks and troops to Cúcuta on Saturday after a U.S. raid on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. The Catatumbo region has long been contested by drug traffickers and rebels. Last year, over 56,000 people were displaced from the area. Colombia is preparing for a potential wave of Venezuelan refugees.