The Colombian border village of Tres Bocas has become a ghost town as residents flee to neighboring Venezuela to escape a new wave of violence that has left at least 80 people dead and displaced thousands in Colombia’s Catatumbo region.

At least 80 people have been killed and more than 18,000 forced to leave their homes in Colombia amid escalating violence between rebel groups. View on euronews

Venezuela sent Russian-made military jets to patrol its border as tens of thousands fled the most intense outbreak of violence in Colombia since its 2016 peace deal.

Francisco de Miranda, considered to be the precursor of Venezuela’s independence, stitched the country’s first flag in Jacmel and set sail from the port city. A decade later, South American liberator Simón Bolívar launched his successful movement from Jacmel’s shores.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro arrived in Haiti's southeastern city of Jacmel on Wednesday afternoon in a rare visit by a foreign head of state to the Caribbean nation, as Haiti endures an extended conflict with armed gangs.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is visiting Haiti as part of a whirlwind trip to strengthen ties with the violence-wracked country