Colombia deploys 14,000-strong military unit in restive border region

A Colombian military band is seen at the inauguration of a new unit to address rebel and crime gang activities along its border with Venezuela, in Cucuta, Colombia, October 6, 2021. REUTERS/Nathalia Angarita

CUCUTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombia deployed a new unit of 14,000 military personnel on Wednesday to increase government control of a conflict hotspot near the Venezuelan border, where multiple armed groups compete for control of cocaine production.

The new unit, known by CENOR, deployed in the northeastern province of Norte de Santander, is the largest in Colombia's recent history.