Dissatisfied residents of Arroyo de Piedra, Atlantica, in the coastal region near famous Colombia tourist city Cartagena, have blocked a major highway in protest against a lack of government response to serious flooding.
Highway 90, otherwise known as Carratera de la Cordialidad, and 90A are the main veins connecting Cartagena and Barranquilla and are extremely important trade routes for the Colombian economy.
According to Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper, heavy rainfalls over the weekend led rivers to overflow and flood many homes in the area. Locals reported water levels as high as three feet.
Further heavy rainfalls early Tuesday morning led to more flooding and damage to at least 50 homes in Arroya de Piedra, leading to the blockade of the highway by angry residents.
Residents are protesting for a government response as a result of serious damage to properties and loss of belongings.
The locals demand a canalization of the main rivers in the area to prevent similar flooding in the future. They refuse to leave the highway until they are attended to by a representative of the government.
Police authorities are present but have not reported any aggression or acts of violence in what has been described as a “passive” protest.
A separate major travel route was shut down on Wednesday due to an alleged attack on the road’s infrastructure by members of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the FARC.
MORE: Main route closed between Medellin and Colombia’s Atlantic coast due to ‘FARC’ attack
The entire road from Colombia’s second largest city, Medellin, to the Atlantic coast has been shut down since midnight on Wednesay morning.
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