Author: Natalia Trujillo Varela
The panorama on Carrera 20a is desolate, with garbage, elements for drug consumption and dirt in the surroundings.
The Army, the Police and officials from the Government Secretariat of Armenia recently intervened in the old warehouses of the Railway station, which were occupied by street residents.
Carrera 20a, in the vicinity of the La Cejita bridges, and the warehouse sector where the old Armenia railway station is located are being intervened as a priority by the mayor’s office, the Army and the Police, since for more than For five years, this area has become a focus of habitability and consumption for homeless people.
“People living on the street had once again opened holes in the area of the old warehouses and under the bridges. They were staying there, accumulating garbage and different items. We took them out, removed the items and closed the cars again,” he explained. Jorge Andrés Buitrago Moncaleano, Secretary of Government and Coexistence of Armenia.
The work of the Government Secretariat focuses on removing people from critical points, without prohibiting their free movement. During the intervention carried out last Tuesday, a man was captured for illegally carrying weapons.
“We must recover this site definitively so that it becomes a quiet place for citizens and guarantee the constant presence of the Police,” added Buitrago Moncaleano.
In relation to the situation under the bridge, Buitrago Moncaleano clarified that it was not about cambuches, but rather people who sell used clothes.
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“We have a work plan with them so that they move to another sector and can carry out their sales within the framework of legality and formality, without causing damage to the place.”
The administration works together, not only removing people from the sector, but also relocating them. “We seek to provide security with these interventions for passersby and residents of the sector, guaranteeing the accompaniment of the public force and ensuring that it is a good place without problems,” he explained.
The official noted that the Government Secretariat has prioritized 14 areas in the city and has identified 6 critical points for forceful interventions, according to Mayor James Padilla García. “In addition, there are 18 points with daily tours of the Army and the National Police so that citizens feel greater support from the public force,” said Buitrago Moncaleano.
Jenny Gómez Betancourt, Secretary of Social Development, explained that tours have been made through the city, although homeless residents usually flee or hide when they notice the presence of the authorities. “We identify permanent or recurring cases to help them leave the sector, mobilizing them and ensuring that they do not stay in place,” said Gómez Betancourt.
He explained that the Ministry of Social Development works with people who voluntarily decide to leave life on the streets. “There are 3 or 4 people in the El Prado clinic and in the Mental Hospital. Others are in the process of overcoming life on the street,” explained Gómez Betancourt.
The secretary added that progress is being made in the creation of a transitional center to transport homeless residents, offering bathroom, recreation and accompaniment services, raising awareness about the importance of getting out of there.
