Two Army and Police vehicles were set on fire in a rural area of Buenos Aires, Cauca, during a riot while an operation was being carried out in the Las Delicias sector, according to information from the Colombian radio station. The FM.
The Army reported in a statement that “At the end of the military operation, members of the communities, committing the crime of rioting and attacking the integrity of the soldiers of the National Army, began violent actions to expel the military from the area, setting two vehicles on fire.”
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The residual structures of the Dagoberto Ramos and Jaime Martínez armed groups continue to collaborate with some sectors of the population to prevent the advance of Army troops in strategic areas and mobility corridors that affect drug trafficking chains, crucial for their illicit economies.
The Army urged the community not to obstruct military operations or attack those in uniform, pointing out that this may constitute crimes according to articles 226, 429 and 469 of the Colombian Penal Code.
Faced with this new attack on the Public Force, the senator of the Democratic Center, María Fernanda Cabal, harshly criticized the Minister of Defense, describing him as “incapable.”
Cabal expressed: “Velásquez is just as incapable as Petro. While he deceives his followers by announcing the ‘transformation of the territory’, supposed ‘residents’ in a riot burn three Army and Police vehicles in a rural area of the municipality of Buenos Aires, Cauca. The face of ‘total peace’.”
While these incidents were occurring, the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, together with the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, and the military leadership, traveled to the department of Cauca to review the military strategy in the region. During their visit, they announced a comprehensive intervention by the State through the Cauca Mission.
This intervention seeks to reinforce the state presence in the region, addressing not only security problems, but also social and economic aspects that are fundamental for a sustainable solution. Petro and his team were committed to working with local communities to create a safer and more prosperous environment, removing young people from the influence of illegal armed groups.
Army operations in Cauca have been intensified in response to the growing activity of armed groups, which seek to control drug trafficking routes and illegal mining areas. Collaboration between armed groups and some sectors of the population has made military operations difficult.
So far in 2024, according to figures from the Military Forces, 32 riots against the public force have been registered in the departments of Nariño (2), Cauca (20) and Valle del Cauca (9). These regions are the most affected by the advance of illegal armed groups and the escalation of terrorism.
General Erick Rodríguez, commander of Joint Command Number 2, stated for Blu Radio that Riots are the main problem for the Military Forces and the Police, beyond attacks with drones or explosives.
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The municipalities most affected by these riots, according to a report from the Military Forces, include Cali, Jamundí, Suárez, Corinto, Mercaderes, Santander de Quilichao, Leiva, Cumbitara, López de Micay, Miranda, Cajibío, Caloto, Tumaco, El Bordo Patía , Argelia, El Tambo, Piendamó and Buenos Aires. In these places, members of the public force have been attacked by indigenous, peasant and civilian communities during operations against illicit economies.
“One of the main problems has been the riots, but work is also being done with regional and local administrations and with the communities. Here we all have to agree to live well, to be a country that lives in peace, respectful and with dignity, not involved in crime and that our children, the boys and children of the Cauca countryside, grow up in the midst of crime. and the coca crops,” said General Rodríguez.
28 armed groups operate in this region of the country, including structures of the FARC dissidents under the command of alias ‘Iván Mordisco’, alias ‘Iván Márquez’ of the Second Marquetalia and the ELN, with a total of 3,364 men. These groups are fighting over territorial control of drug trafficking and illegal mining.
