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Norte de Santander department, Colombia: conflict statistics
Organized violence recorded by UCDP in Norte de Santander department, data through 31 Jul 2026. Population about 1,620,318 (Wikidata).
Violence in Norte de Santander department, Colombia intensified over the 90 days to 31 Jul 2026: 25 events against 12 in the prior quarter (+108%), with 39 estimated deaths.
Over the 12 months to 31 Jul 2026, 56 events and 109 estimated deaths were recorded in Norte de Santander department. That is -46% on the previous 12 months. UCDP's low and high estimates put the death toll between 108 and 109. 41% of events were classed as non-state conflict. Civilian deaths in the same period: 23. Relative to population, that is 34.6 events per million people.
The most active conflict pairing over the last 12 months was Government of Colombia - ELN (18 events, 40 estimated deaths).
Monthly reports:Jul 2026Jun 2026May 2026Apr 2026Feb 2026Jan 2026Dec 2025Nov 2025Oct 2025Sep 2025Aug 2025Jul 2025
Events in Norte de Santander department, last 12 months
Monthly trend
Hotspots within Norte de Santander department, last 12 months
| Area (second-level) | Events | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Cúcuta municipality | 14 | 17 |
| Tibú municipality | 11 | 29 |
| El Tarra municipality | 7 | 22 |
| Ocaña municipality | 6 | 7 |
| Villa del Rosario municipality | 3 | 5 |
| El Carmen municipality | 3 | 4 |
| Sardinata municipality | 2 | 2 |
| Catatumbo region | 1 | 7 |
| Convención municipality | 1 | 3 |
| El Zulia municipality | 1 | 1 |
Deadliest recorded events, last 90 days
| Date | Where | Parties | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May 2026 | Tibú municipality Norte de Santander department | Government of Colombia vs ELN State-based | 7 |
| 19 May 2026 | Norte de Santander department | ELN vs Civilians One-sided, 6 civilian | 6 |
| 23 Jul 2026 | Villa del Rosario municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group Non-state | 2 |
| 20 Jul 2026 | Ocaña municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group Non-state | 2 |
| 17 Jul 2026 | El Carmen municipality Norte de Santander department | Government of Colombia vs ELN State-based, 1 civilian, 4 sources | 2 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | Cúcuta municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group Non-state | 1 |
| 26 Jul 2026 | Cúcuta municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group Non-state | 1 |
| 24 Jul 2026 | Cúcuta municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Civilians One-sided, 1 civilian | 1 |
| 24 Jul 2026 | El Zulia municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Civilians One-sided, 1 civilian | 1 |
| 23 Jul 2026 | Cúcuta municipality Norte de Santander department | Unidentified armed group vs Civilians One-sided, 1 civilian, 2 sources | 1 |
Most recorded parties, last 12 months
| Party | Events | Est. deaths in those events |
|---|---|---|
| Unidentified armed group | 33 | 37 |
| ELN | 32 | 80 |
| Government of Colombia | 19 | 41 |
| EMBF | 8 | 24 |
| FARC-EMC | 4 | 11 |
| Tren de Aragua | 2 | 3 |
Conflict pairings, last 12 months
| Pairing | Events | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Colombia - ELN | 18 | 40 |
| Unidentified armed group - Unidentified armed group | 13 | 15 |
| Unidentified armed group - Civilians | 7 | 7 |
| ELN - EMBF | 6 | 20 |
| FARC-EMC - ELN | 4 | 11 |
| ELN - Civilians | 4 | 9 |
Type of violence, last 12 months
| Category | Events | Share |
|---|---|---|
| State-based armed conflict | 20 | 36% |
| Non-state conflict | 23 | 41% |
| One-sided violence against civilians | 13 | 23% |
Frequently asked questions
How many conflict events were recorded in Norte de Santander department in the last 12 months?
UCDP recorded 56 organized-violence events in Norte de Santander department between 1 Aug 2025 and 31 Jul 2026, with an estimated 109 deaths (range 108 to 109).
Is violence in Norte de Santander department increasing or decreasing?
Increasing. Events in the last 90 days (25) were up +108% on the preceding 90 days (12).
Who are the main armed actors in Norte de Santander department?
The parties recorded in the most events over the last 12 months were Unidentified armed group (33 events), ELN (32 events), Government of Colombia (19 events), EMBF (8 events).
What kind of violence is recorded in Norte de Santander department?
UCDP classes events as state-based armed conflict, non-state conflict, or one-sided violence against civilians. In Norte de Santander department, 41% of events over the last 12 months were non-state conflict.
Where does this data come from?
Event counts and death estimates come from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) Georeferenced Event Dataset and its monthly Candidate Events releases, published under CC BY 4.0. Figures use UCDP's "best" fatality estimate. Data on this page runs through 31 Jul 2026.
Monthly reports:Jul 2026Jun 2026May 2026Apr 2026Feb 2026Jan 2026Dec 2025Nov 2025Oct 2025Sep 2025Aug 2025Jul 2025Jun 2025May 2025Apr 2025Mar 2025Feb 2025Jan 2025Dec 2024Nov 2024Oct 2024Sep 2024Aug 2024Jul 2024
Other regions of Colombia
Atlántico department · Valle del Cauca department · Risaralda department · Antioquia department · Magdalena department · Cesar department · Huila department · Cauca department · Bogotá district · Arauca department · La Guajira department · Nariño department
Region names follow UCDP's first-level administrative coding. Counts use UCDP's "best" fatality estimate. See methodology.