Colombia is a safer place to live than a year ago, according to Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos.
During a speech given to the Metropolitan Police of Popayan, in the southwestern department of Cauca, Santos said that the security in the country has improved over recent years, which has had a direct influence on progress in the economy and the social sector.
He said. “Today we can say that Colombia is safer than a year ago and a year ago was safer than two years ago. This trend is occurring because we are ensuring that social and economic factors continue to improve.”
Santos was in Popayan to announce the reinforcement of its security by 500 agents and the president stressed that further additions will be made to security over the coming year affecting the Metropolitan Police in various parts of the country.
Santos’ government are currently in the midst of potentially historic peace talks with the country’s largest guerrilla group FARC, as they aim to put an end to the longest running conflict in the history of the country.
Despite the peace negotiations Santos revealed that 25 leaders of FARC have been captured or discharged during the last year and 6 ELN leaders. He concluded that “this has not been seen in 50 years of struggle that we have been against these organizations.”