Chocó concentrates the presence of five of the most dangerous armed groups, which makes its public order situation critical.
The department of Chocó faces new public order problems due to the increase in the actions of criminal groups that commit crimes in the region and that strategic areas for drug trafficking and the movement of weapons are illegally disputed.
Although at first the dissidents of the FARC and the ELN were present in the area, military intelligence revealed that other criminal groups such as the Clan del Golfo, Los Mexicanos and Los Palmeños have expanded their criminal actions in this region.
Thus, Chocó concentrates the presence of five of the most dangerous armed groups, which makes its public order situation critical, affecting the civilian population that remains in the middle of the dispute and crossfire.
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The presence of these criminal groups has also forced the population to be forcibly displaced, which intensifies the humanitarian crisis. Given this situation and in order to improve security conditions in the Chocó, the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, and the military and police leadership analyze the situation.
“Through the presence of our Public Force and the unified action of the entire State, we will provide a solution to the security problems facing this region and “We will forcefully combat criminal groups,” Sanchez said.
To achieve this objective, the head of the Defense portfolio announced a broad deployment in the region, which includes the arrival of 150 uniformed personnel from the National Army, that is, four platoons, and for the next two platoons will arrive additional with another 80 soldiers.
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Another of the main factors that encourages confrontations between these criminal groups is the control of gold mines for illegal extraction, therefore which there will be new measures to combat this crime.
“A component of the Dialogue and Maintenance Unit of the Order, UDMO, which will be in charge of supporting operations against illicit exploitation of mining deposits and thus avoid riots against the Public Force and the competent authorities during the proceedings,” explained the Minister.
In addition to this, there will be greater fluvial control in the rivers Quito, San Pablo, Baudó and San Juanin addition to the arrival of eight boats before the end of the year and 52 marines.
“For road control, four armored vehicles with their crew will be sent. These will be essential for the presence and institutional control of the authorities on the main road axes that connect the department of Chocó with Antioquia and Risaralda mainly, as well as among the municipalities of the interior”, added Minister Pedro Sánchez.
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An anti-drone team is added to these new forces to counter the attacks of these criminal groups. The Minister also stressed that “To date there is no ceasefire with any organized armed group. “Our institutional commitment is to decisively combat all crime phenomena.”
So far this year, the Military Forces have carried out 146 military and police operations in the It clashed in those that have neutralized more than 150 members of criminal groups.
