Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted on X during the past 29 minutes, from 6:16 PM to 6:45 PM UTC on January 2, 2026, notifying governments in the area that three boatmen died after jumping from bombed boats in the precise location where the incident occurred, according to his statement at https://x.com/petrogustavo/status/2007148400530088299. Petro stated the information was obtained by the Colombian naval force, which is willing to collaborate, noting that the rest of the boatmen survived by jumping into the sea, as detailed in the X post. This development follows Petro's earlier accusation posted just before 6:16 PM UTC on the same day against the ELN guerrilla group for smuggling 3.5 tons of coca paste across the Venezuelan border from Catatumbo, with captures in northern Santander, according to his previous X post.
