President Alvaro Uribe announced that 50 intelligence police will
arrive in Medellin Wednesday to investigate the increase in violence
associated with criminal groups in the city. The Colombian Head of
State also announced that press conferences will be held daily to
provide citizens with security updates.
Uribe said the police will focus on gathering intelligence on demobilized paramilitaries who are still involved in crime.
He added that the assembly of the intelligence task force is in response to the increase in violent deaths in Medellin.
The city has experienced a recent wave of violence following the arrest of paramilitary drug lord ‘Don Mario’ because gangs of drug
traffickers are fighting for control of the illegal trade.
The President said that police investigations had determined that the violence is the result of confrontations between two rival gangs headed by leaders ‘Sebastián’ and ‘Valenciano’.
Uribe also announced that police will display posters identifying the 40 most wanted criminals in the region. The police will also offer rewards of up to one billion pesos (US$500,000) for information to the capture of leaders of illegal armed groups.
Police will also hold a daily conference “to inform the community about homicides, other crimes committed the previous day, criminals captured, people jailed, seized weapons, appeals to the public for information and rewards paid,” Uribe said.
Medellin Mayor Alonso Salazar saidd he approved of the new measures and thought that they would help to solve Medellin’s problems.