Children in Medellin’s Barrio Limonar must reportedly pay extortion fees of 25 to 50 cents a day to neighborhood gangs in order to attend school.
A father of one of the pupils, who asked to remain anonymous, told El Colombiano newspaper that the money is taken from the children by other kids acting as racketeers for local gangs, who then make the drop to thugs who arrive on motorbikes in front of the school
Arnulfo Serna, Medellin Secretary of Security, on Thursday told reporters that the issue is being addressed.
“We are listening to the community’s problems and will implement action with the GAULA [elite hostage rescue force] to end this phenomenon that, of course, can not continue,” said Serna.
Barrio Limonar is experiencing a conflict between two different street gangs, the “Chicorios” from sector one of the neighborhood and the “Bifas” from Limonar 2.