Catatumbo Officials Reject Cúcuta Aid Centralization

Javier Ascanio, president of the Catatumbo Personeros Association and Personero of Acarí, expressed strong rejection of a decision by the Victims Unit to centralize humanitarian aid delivery in Cúcuta. Ascanio stated that centralizing aid in Cúcuta would ignore the territorial reality of the Catatumbo region in Norte de Santander. The decision is being challenged by local officials in the northern part of the department. A spokesperson noted that without studies of municipal coverage, victims may spend funds on travel, such as 400,000 pesos for transit from Tibú to Cúcuta. The officials are calling for the immediate restoration of aid delivery within each municipal headquarters to ensure direct access for victims. Currently, victims receiving 400,000 pesos in aid must travel from locations like Tibú to Cúcuta, which consumes much of the assistance in travel costs. The officials are requesting that aid be accessible immediately within local municipal centers to prevent these financial burdens. The decision follows an attack targeting two female entrepreneurs, Jocelyn and Ersilia, and their mother in a municipality described as typically tranquil. The local leader expressed concern that the victims were working women with no known conflicts or prior threats.