Colombia's President Sends Troops to a Caribbean City After an Outburst of Violence
The deployment follows an armed strike that burned buses, closed schools and shuttered businesses after a police operation killed an ACSN commander.
- On Wednesday, President Abelardo ordered troops to Santa Marta to restore order, marking the first military deployment of his administration following violence by the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces.
- Espriella stated the violence was retaliation for a military operation that killed Villanueva, known as 'Cholo' and identified by the government as the group's second-in-command, prompting his vow to "finish them off."
- Magdalena Gov. Margarita Guerra estimated more than 1,500 additional police officers and military personnel deployed across the region, while about 480,000 residents in Santa Marta faced disrupted commerce and shuttered markets.
- While residents faced empty streets and closed stalls on Wednesday, arsonists set ablaze at least three vehicles on Tuesday, leaving taxi driver Antonio Ochoa and others caught off guard by the armed strike.
- Espriella halted all peace talks with armed groups initiated by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, signaling a shift to direct confrontation with criminal organizations operating in Magdalena, Cesar, and Guajira.
63 Articles
63 Articles
Radio France Internationale
rtl.luColombians in Santa Marta stay inside after violence wracks the city
Authorities urged businesses in the touristy Caribbean city to open their doors after attacks by gang members subsided, but to no avail as locals remained fearful of further chaos. The self-styled Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN), an armed group with roots in Colombia's now-defunct paramilitary movement, lashed out following the killing of its second-in-command by official forces. "People are afraid to go out," Nicolas …
Threats from armed group bring Colombia's Santa Marta to standstill
BOGOTA, Sept 23 - The Colombian city of Santa Marta, a hot spot for tourists, came to a standstill on Wednesday following threats by an illegal armed group against local businesses and transportation in retaliation for Monday's killing of one of its leaders. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Reforma
eldiariodechihuahua.mxThe President of Colombia ordered the militarization of the Caribbean city of Santa Marta, in the face of narco attacks on shops and vehicles.
By Fernando Ramos, CNN en Español On Tuesday night, President Abelardo de La Espriella toured several streets of Santa Marta, in the north of Colombia, accompanied by a strong military and police operation and in the context of a growing fear among its inhabitants after a day of terror in the city.The president announced during his tour the militarization of Santa Marta, in the context of a violent attack initiated on Tuesday by armed men belong…
Associated Press News
Colombia's president sends troops to a Caribbean city after an outburst of violence
Troops are patrolling the streets of Santa Marta, Colombia, as President Abelardo de la Espriella tries to restore order after violence erupted there.
The tension in the city intensified after the criminal structure ACSN decreed a 48-hour “armed stoppage”.
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