De la Espriella Sends Troops to Santa Marta After Wave of Armed Violence
President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the militarization of the Caribbean port city after attacks on businesses and vehicles left commerce, transport and tourism badly disrupted.
President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered troops into Santa Marta on September 23 and 24 after a surge of violence attributed to an armed group rattled the coastal city. The unrest followed the killing of a leader within that group, triggering retaliatory attacks on commercial establishments and vehicles across the city.
Reports from the ground described a Santa Marta with shuttered storefronts, reduced street activity and a noticeable drop in the tourist traffic that the city depends on. Transport was also disrupted, compounding the economic toll on residents and business owners.
The deployment marks one of the more visible security interventions by de la Espriella since he took office, and it puts a spotlight on the fragile security situation along Colombia's Caribbean coast. Analysts and local observers are now asking what comes next for a city that has long marketed itself as a gateway to the Sierra Nevada and the Tayrona region.
For the Colombian diaspora in the United States, many of whom have family in the Magdalena department or plan visits during the holiday season, the situation in Santa Marta is one to watch closely in the days ahead.
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Reportado por El Paisa, nuestro corresponsal colombiano.
