From 3 to 5 November 1998 during the

Colombian conflict The Colombian conflict ( es, link=no, Conflicto armado interno de Colombia) began on May 27, 1964, and is a low-intensity asymmetric war between the government of Colombia, far-right paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, and far-left gue ...

, rebels belonging to the

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army ( es, link=no, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de ColombiaEjército del Pueblo, FARC–EP or FARC) is a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian confl ...

(FARC) laid siege to the Colombian village of

Mitú Mitú () is the capital town of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. It is a small town located in South eastern Colombia in the Amazon Basin. Founded in 1936, Mitú lies next to the Vaupés River at 180 meters above sea level. It is where the ...

Vaupés Department Vaupés may refer to: * Vaupés River * Vaupés Department Vaupés may refer to: * Vaupés River Vaupés River (Uaupés River) is a tributary of the Rio Negro in South America. It rises in the Guaviare Department of Colombia, flowing east through ...

Attack

On 1 November 1998, left-wing

FARC The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army ( es, link=no, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de ColombiaEjército del Pueblo, FARC–EP or FARC) is a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian conflic ...

guerillas launched an assault on the village (which is also the regional capital of

), FARC entered the city, taking over the

aerodrome An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

as they entered the fortified police station. The police had only 120 officers, making them outnumbered and overwhelmed by the 1,500 FARC militants. Casualties were heavy, and many policemen were taken hostage. Officer recalled seeing 18 of his colleagues being killed by rebels. The entire town fell under FARC control, which tried to cut off all communication with the outside world. Mitú, which is inaccessible to reach by land, had virtually all its communications severed. The last radio message was on 2 PM on 1 November, and only one plane, a

Colombian Red Cross The Colombian Red Cross is a Colombian-based nonprofit private entity member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. It has been a member since 1922. The Colombian Red Cross embraces the principles of the International Red Cross ...

aircraft that managed to evacuate 4 injured youths ranging in age from 3 to 20 years old, was allowed to enter the village. On 4 November, Colombian troops sent 500 reinforcements into Mitú, which crossed through Brazilian territory, which Brazil said was an illegal action. Mitú was retaken and over 800 guerillas were estimated to have been killed during the counter-offensive. At least 37 soldiers and police officers were confirmed to have been killed. Other sources estimate that 43 were killed, and the local hospital put the toll at 150. At least 11 civilians, including a 19-year old teenager, were also killed by FARC. After the battle FARC soldiers were also reported to have executed many of the 61 people they had captured, including mayor Luis Peña after he complained about his living conditions. Soldier was not released until 2010, making him FARC's longest-held hostage. Much of Mitú was destroyed during the battle. Historian Harvey F. Kline says that at least 40 buildings, including a

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

and a hospital were destroyed by FARC and 200 explosives were detonated. The

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

said that guerillas had destroyed entire

city blocks A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets, not counting any type of thoroughfare within t ...

, "including private homes, a church, and a school."

References

{{Reflist 1998 in Colombia 1998 murders in Colombia Attacks on police stations in the 1990s Battles involving Colombia FARC actions Mass murder in 1998 Sieges post-1945 Vaupés Department