The FARC dissidents continue to exert their influence in the municipalities of Huila, behaving like local authorities and dictating the rules of coexistence. Through audio broadcasts on social networks, these guerrillas impose restrictions, such as prohibiting people from staying outside their homes after 7 p.m.
Diario del Huila, Close-up
The FARC dissidents continue to exert influence in the municipalities of Huila, acting as local authorities and establishing rules of coexistence. A recent incident occurred in the municipality of La Plata, where an audio was broadcast on social networks in which An individual identifies himself as Jhonier Martínez, an alleged dissident member of the Jacobo Arenas bloc of the FARC.a substructure of the Central General Staff led by alias Iván Mordisco.
In the aforementioned message, addressed to the presidents of the community action boards of several villages in the region, Martínez issues threats and intimidations towards the residents.
The content of the audio reveals severe warnings for those who are found traveling after one in the morning in the areas of the population centers of Belén, Villa Losada, Gallego and others, even covering the municipality of La Argentina, in Huila.
In the same WhatsApp audio released on April 28, dissident Johanier Martínez provides guidelines to the community and the presidents of Community Action Boards on coexistence, schedules and drug consumption.
This time, specific reference is made to the residents of the areas of Belén, Gallego and Villa Losada in the municipalities of La Plata and La Argentina, in the west of the department of Huila, where similar situations had already been reported a few months ago.
“There have been many robberies in those neighborhoods, also drug consumption, what is happening to minors, after seven at night we do not want to see vicious people, they have already been warned three times and they You already know who you are, for us this is not a game, maybe you take it as if we came to threaten you at all hours, we want good for all of you”, states the dissident Johanier in the audio.
In the same way, he asserts that people who have caused harm in those days, where six people have been found dead, “had already been given the warning, from now on the nightclubs will close at 12:00 at night, we do not want to see people wandering around, all kinds of businesses should be closed.”
The notice is also made to billiards merchants in the Gallego and Villa Losada areas “we have made more than three calls, if you think it is a good game, take it that way, then we will not respond for those issues.”
The audio also refers to the fact that a call has been made to the communities about the presence of the Army in the area; “There is no shortage of the ‘toad’ that calls the Army, we have already seen them, we already know who they are and if you are going to do this type of business with the State, it is better that they leave from now on because we already come with all of the law and we are going to be vigilant in this area of Huila,” says the dissident.
Minors to work
In the audio, a call is also made to the community to accelerate the construction of roads. «We want to address the presidents of the Community Action Boards. What is happening with the roads? It seems that some are not willing to work or contribute. Therefore, if there is no positive response, we will take action. We will organize a meeting and we will take out each of the minors aged 15 and older who can already hold a machete, a shovel so that they can work. We will also actively participate in this project for the benefit of the community«.
Finely indicates that the Jaime Martínez front is present for the first time in Huila; He comes to this area of the country to guarantee security, “If they want to see a bunch of dead people, then they are going to see it because what we want is to take them in a good community project.”.
It is worth remembering that in recent months a similar situation was also recorded that kept the community in fear and concern over the few actions taken by the authorities regarding the issue of public order in this part of Huila.
How do the authorities respond?
Given the dissemination of the attributed audiothe Secretary of the Departmental Government, Edgar Martín Lara, strongly condemned such actions perpetrated by illegal armed groups.expressing their concern about the impact they generate on local communities.
Lara stressed the importance of informing security forces about these threats to guarantee the protection of the affected areas and ensure that coexistence is governed by institutional laws. «It is crucial that both the Army and the Police reinforce their presence in these areas to safeguard the safety of citizens.«emphasized the departmental government official.
Furthermore, the Secretary of Government of Huila pointed out that, despite the significant reinforcement of forces, they are requesting more support from the national government and are willing to invest resources to strengthen security in the region.
On the other hand, Colonel Pedro Pablo León, commander of the Ninth Brigade, stated that they continue to deploy units in the border areas of the department with Cauca, Caquetá, Meta and southern Tolima, where the presence of illegal groups entering Huila due to the conflict in these regions has been detected. Colonel León highlighted the joint and coordinated work with other agencies and the importance of operations based on intelligence information to counter these threats.
Security Council
The Government of Huila held a Security Council focused on the detailed analysis of the recent isolated incident that occurred on the national highway, where an illegal armed group was present.
«Once we became aware of this situation, the Army and National Police forces immediately mobilized to counteract this act. Despite our efforts, these individuals had already left the rural area. We are carrying out operations to try to find these subjects«, reported Camilo Ernesto Lozano, Governor in charge of Huila.
Colonel Alexander Castillo, commander of the Neiva Metropolitan Police, noted that, “According to preliminary investigations, the people involved in these criminal acts would be related to the FARC Central General Staff. However, it is important to highlight that these statements are subject to the conclusions of ongoing police and judicial investigations.«.
In coordination with the Tolima authorities and the Neiva Metropolitan Police, joint operations are being carried out to identify those responsible for these events.
For its part, the Ninth Brigade of the National Army is carrying out operations throughout the department, particularly in the areas bordering Tolima, Cauca, Caquetá and Putumayo, which face similar security challenges.
«Through our intelligence network, we are closely monitoring the situation and carrying out operations to guarantee the safety of all the inhabitants of Huila. Despite the challenges, it is important to highlight that to date no captives have been reported in our department.«said Colonel Pedro Pablo León, commander of the Ninth Brigade of the National Army.
In the Security Council, specific cases were also monitored in the municipalities of La Argentina and Algeciras related to the logistics operators of the School Feeding Program. «The respective complaints have been filed with the competent authorities, and investigations are being carried out to capture and prosecute those responsible.“he added Camilo Ernesto Lozano, Governor in charge of Huila.
