Fifteen people have been shot in the last 20 days in Colombia’s northern department of La Guajira, despite a ban on carrying guns, reported newspaper Diario del Norte Friday.
La Guajira is a notoriously violent region in northeastern Colombia with strong guerilla and paramilitary presence, a low ratio of police to citizens, and a mountainous terrain bordering the sea that is difficult to control.
In response to a high number of voilent deaths in the area, a resolution was passed on December 24 by the local government banning the possession of firearms.
Despite the resolution, the murder rate remains high, with 20 homicides reported since it was passed.