Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
  • About us
  • Support us
  • Contact Us
  • Intelligence
  • Advertising
  • Newsletter
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
News

Colombian troops join police to patrol violent Medellin neighborhood

by Bryon Wells January 5, 2010

Colombia news - Comuna 1

When the sun starts to go down in the north-east of Medellin, residents hurry home and close their doors. Nobody wants to be on the streets when the gangs come out.

Highslide JSBut, at least on Monday, residents of Medellin’s Comuna 1, comprising the neighborhoods of La Silla, La Torre, La Galera, La Veredita and El Hoyo, felt a little safer as a military detachment joined police for the night patrol.

A reporter from the Medellin newspaper El Colombiano and a photographer from French press agency AFP accompanied the joint patrol, which aims to maintain the peace in the area near Santo Domingo, which under threat from the gangs La Galera, La Silla, La 38 and La Torre.

Before the joint patrol, Colonel Miguel Fernandez of the Pedro Nel Ospina Battalion addressed his men: “We will be very tough, but very respectful of the rights of civilians.”

Soldiers and police patrolling together have become a common sight in Medellin, due to the sharp increase in violence among gangs fighting over territory and the drug trade.

Colombian police claimed a nationwide decrease in homicides in 2009, but there is evidence that the murder rate in the country’s three largest cities has grown dramatically. In Medellin, where violence exploded because of ongoing gang warfare, police say that the murder rate went from 871 in 2008 to 1,431 in 2009, a 64% rise.

Colombian media reported there were eleven homicides in Medellin on this January 1 alone.

On Monday, the soldiers deployed to previously agreed locations and, supported by DAS, the Colombian state intelligence agency, began to question and identify youths roaming the area’s maze of streets, El Colombiano reported.

One resident of La Silla asked the military to not leave the area for a single minute, because the La Galera gang had been exploiting the lack of law enforcement presence to harass his neighbors with rifles.

“Colonel, this is serious. Look, last night they shot a police lieutenant in the face with a carbine. It was a sniper, and and although the military inspires respect, also today they shot one of the soldiers in the foot. These people do not respect anyone, they don’t even care that there are children playing in the streets,” The man, who was not identified, pleaded with Fernandez. “This must be fought with all the energy of the state.”

El Colombiano did not have further information on the two alleged wounded security force members. However, Fernandez said in the report that since Sunday the Battalion will keep a presence in the area indefinitely, providing support to the police.

Highslide JS Highslide JS Highslide JS Highslide JS Highslide JS

MedellinMedellin violence

Trending

  • Colombia’s defense minister dies of COVID

  • Colombia’s corporate media taking part in possibly illegal intelligence operations

  • Far-right Duque supporters say ‘we will finish’ one of Colombia’s worst massacres

Weekly interviews and news updates

Related articles

  • Bogota and Medellin lock down as COVID saturates Colombia’s hospitals

  • Colombia reinstates COVID restrictions during holidays

  • The sins of Colombia’s ruling class: the Ramos Clan

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • RSS

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top