The Pan-American highway that connects Risaralda with Chocó currently has two closures, which keeps this department incommunicado, since the road to Antioquia is also blocked.
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According to the information shared by the authorities, one of the closures of the road between Itsmina and Pueblo Rico is due to an armed action that is attributed to the ELN; while the other corresponds to a protest led by a community in Chocó.
ELN action
In the Tadó sector there is a closure on the road that connects Pereira with Quibdó. Allegedly, ELN members stopped a truck, forced the driver to get out and left the vehicle across the road, blocking traffic.
The authorities are analyzing whether the criminals installed explosives in the vehicle.
Given this risk, the Pereira Transport Terminal decided to temporarily suspend the sending of buses to Chocó. The manager, Héctor Fabio Artunduaga, assured that the measure seeks to guarantee safety, insisting that the most important thing is to protect passengers and drivers.
Citizen protest
The other blockade is led by the Greater Community Council of the Pan American Union, which affects the highway between Risaralda and Chocó, as well as the route that connects with Antioquia.
The protesters denounce alleged abuses by the regional administration and decisions that, according to them, affect the freedom of action of the community council.
Fulton Emiro Arboleda, legal representative of the Community Council, stated: “people will continue protesting here until the important officials of the country and the department come and stand up to us.”
The community asks to review an official decision that they consider irregular, as they point out that a board of directors was approved without the participation of all members or prior consultation, which they would interpret as a violation of their rights.
Additionally, the Quibdó – Medellín road has been closed since Tuesday, January 6, after a landslide between sectors 9 and 10, which keeps vehicular passage restricted also due to the works being carried out on the road section.
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Meanwhile, hundreds of travelers, ordinary citizens, transporters and merchants are affected by the closure of these road arteries, key to mobility, supply and the regional economy.
