Government intensifies containment efforts in Catatumbo due to increased flow in the Zulia River

Published at: 17/04/2026 09:22 PM

The mayor of the Catatumbo municipality, Wilmer Ariza, reported this Friday, April 17, that Jumbo-type heavy machinery is being mobilized in barges in this municipality in the state of Zulia, to carry out “hydraulic reinforcement tasks and avoid further damage to the population of El Gallinazo and surrounding areas”.

In his account on the digital network Instagram, he noted that the rains that have fallen in Zulia, Táchira and the Colombian territory, where the sources of the Zulia and Catatumbo rivers are located, increased flows, creating an emergency situation.

Ariza assured that the situation is under control, “on alert, but under control. Especially at the critical point of kilometer 38, where, under the guidance of the President (E), Delcy Rodríguez and Governor Luis Caldera, Jumbo and Gabarras type machinery is being mobilized to carry out hydraulic reinforcement tasks and avoid further damage to the population of El Gallinazo and its surrounding areas.”

He specified that there were damages to peasant housing that is being serviced by the Catatumbo Mayor's Office and the Government of Zulia with the support of security and protection agencies and entities of the National Government.

He also reported that a multidisciplinary social protection and health team has been activated on the left bank of peasant areas to provide direct assistance to affected families.

Ariza reaffirmed the commitment of the three levels of government to be faced with the contingency and to maintain surveillance in other vulnerable points of the retaining wall.

He called on the community to remain calm in the face of preventive actions deployed throughout the territory of the Catatumbo municipality.

Mazo News Team