‘They have supported us, but much more forcefulness is needed from the Government’: Dilian Francisca Toro

The governor of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisca Torospoke with EL TIEMPO about the complicated public order situation in his department, which worsened this week in Jamundí, a municipality that has seen several attacks by FARC dissidents.

According to the criteria of

According to Toro, the National Government’s response has not been strong enough to counteract the security problems in his department.

What is the diagnosis you make as governor of Valle del Cauca of the public order situation? What’s going on?

The situation is that when we arrived on January 1 (2024) we already knew that the most serious problem was security. My first act of government that day was a metropolitan security council. Then we had to hold the security council in Tuluá because of the problem that existed due to extortion and ‘la Inmaculada’, which is a gang that had co-opted many sectors there. There was also Buenaventura’s problem with the dissidents that existed; and there is the dialogue table between ‘Shottas’ and ‘Spartans’. In Buga and in the northern area we had the gangs that were in conflict, ‘Los Flacos’ and ‘Nueva Generación’. This was generating homicides, and in the Western mountain range we have the 57th front and the ‘Dagoberto Ramos’. That was the panorama of the department.

That was six months ago, what has happened to those situations?

They have been decreasing, In Tuluá homicide and extortion were reduced. Now it has become known that there is a rapprochement between alias Pipe Tuluá and the Government. That’s it we go. In the north, some very important captures have been made and controls have been generated with the Police and the Army. On the subject of the Central mountain range, where front 57 and the ‘Dagoberto Ramos’ are locatedwe have confrontations with the Army to achieve territorial control. We already got a deal with the SAE to have a battalion in a very strategic place in the north of the Valley to repel what is happening in the Central mountain range, but also advances in Bolívar and Trujillo against the ‘Gulf clan’. There was already a successful operation on Wednesday.

And what is happening in Jamundí, since at least two attacks with explosives have been reported in the last month?

In Jamundí we continue with the FARC dissidents. The Army is already entering the rural area and territorial control is being generated. Before they did not go to the rural area and now they are going, entering that area. That and the end of the ceasefire, which I agree with because it was being used to strengthen these structures, have made the pressure from those groups stronger. There are retaliations and that is where the terrorist acts of recent days were generated.

Faced with this wave of violence, what is the request of the Government?

We have been talking. A month ago a security council was held in Tuluá, the President (Gustavo Petro) and the Minister of Defense came. The entire dome was there. I told Petro that we need to carry out comprehensive action in the southwest, in the Pacific, against insecurity. What happens to Cauca, happens to the Valley and vice versa. What happens to Chocó happens to the Valley.

But does that imply that they have not received the support of the Executive branch?

In no way have they supported us. Our claim does not mean that the Ministers of Defense or Justice have not been very attentive. But much more forcefulness is missing. If there is not that forcefulness we will not be able to achieve.

You highlight the management of the Minister of Defense, but he has been highly criticized in recent days…

I have to say that whenever there is a problem he has been there and has answered things for us. They have supported us but much more forcefulness is needed from the Government to resolve the root problem.

An issue that draws attention is that you mention a tremendous diversity of groups in such a small territory, you talk about dissidents, the ‘Gulf clan’, organized crime, etc. What has happened in this time for there to be such a large proliferation?

This is not just Valle del Cauca, it is the entire country, especially southwestern Colombia, especially the Pacific. This is where we have the most illicit crops and in the north, where the ‘Gulf clan’ is, the Garrapatas Canyon is a very desirable place to go to Chocó. Everything is generated by drugs and illegal mining. They provide the resources to continue the cycles of violence.

Has focusing on attacking dissidents caused the offensive against other groups such as the Gulf Clan to be neglected?

In no way, what happens is that it recently entered the territory due to our proximity to Chocó. But the Army has been generating operations and they have been very successful. Some members of that group have been killed and others captured. Very important seizures have been generated.

You talk about a 14 kilometer road in the Naya, what happened for a road of that length to be built under the noses of an entire country and no one did anything?

I really don’t know, because in my first term, 8 years ago, there was no way. I don’t know what happened next. It is not clear when they started building it, we only know that the road they built looks very good.

How has the Petro government responded to the reality that there is a route created by these same groups to get the drugs out?

That is where the forcefulness we ask for is. You have to get there to block the road so that they don’t continue passing through there. That is the forcefulness of the actions.

In your answers you have said that part of this situation is due to the end of the ceasefire, yet you say that you agree with this measure. Because?

They were strengthening themselves militarily with the cessation. President Petro lifted the cessation because they were committing crimes and because they were not complying with the peace talks that had been proposed. Of course, military actions had to be reactivated or else they would continue committing crimes in a peace process. That cannot be allowed.

You talk about it being a joint effort between the different levels of the State. How has the integration been with the other governors?

We have spoken a lot with the governor of Cauca and we are not beginning to articulate. We need to articulate all operations with both departments so that we can act comprehensively. On Tuesday we have a meeting with the governors of the Pacific, the vice president will be there and we will talk about the issue of coca and security.

And the municipal level?

It has been very good, we have an excellent relationship and coordination with the mayors.

It has always been said that the governor’s work is the most fragile because he ends up being the link between the municipal level and the national government. How has this issue fared given the security situation?

Here we are working hand in hand. I support logistically, with provision for the Public Force and the security of the municipalities. We work in coordination with the mayors and we do not have any problems with the Public Force. We need greater forcefulness with the national government because we cannot solve all the problems.

Given the situation in the department, it has been said that there is a kind of siege towards Cali, do you share that reading?

What happens is that everything that happens in the surrounding areas, the municipalities close to the city, harms Cali. That is precisely one of the reasons for asking to increase the force, but not only in the city but in the surrounding municipalities.

COP 16 will take place in Cali in October. There is also the issue that they are one of the venues for the U-20 Women’s World Cup. Is the holding of these events in danger with the security situation of the department?

Not because the force is being increased and the municipalities that are in the leaks of Cali are being surrounded.

President Gustavo Petro is celebrating two years in power, what should be the route to follow for the department in the time he has left?

I have already said it but I will repeat it. First, it must take care of the security of southwestern Colombia since there are problems that arise from illegal crops and mining. A comprehensive action must be carried out with territorial control of the Public Force so that the institutions have control. This must come hand in hand with the replacement of illegal economies and social investments. We must prevent our young people from being recruited by giving them study, health and other living conditions. We must provide well-being. That is the path to follow.

Beyond what happened in Jamundí, what is the outlook for ‘total peace’ in the department? Are there positive effects on issues such as the dismissal in Buenaventura?

That is a decision of the President and he is the one who defines who he talks to or not. It should be noted that in Buenaventura homicide has decreased with the legal table. There are positive things. Let’s wait what the final results are. Hopefully, for the good of Valle del Cauca, that ends well. But I repeat, it is a unilateral decision of the President and we respect that.

JUAN SEBASTIÁN LOMBO

Political Journalist EL TIEMPO