Story perspectives

President Deploys 1,500 Troops to Restore Santa Marta Order

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 3:41 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

President Deploys Troops

President Abelardo de la Espriella deployed troops to Santa Marta to restore order after gang-linked violence.
He blamed the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces for arson that burned at least three vehicles and threatened merchants.
Governor María Margarita Guerra said more than 1,500 police and military personnel were deployed across the region.
Residents feared shortages, queuing at remaining supermarkets while armed police guarded streets.

Summary

Indigenous Leaders Warn

Indigenous leaders warned that displacement and civilian use as human shields occurred during the Santa Marta clash.
Intermunicipal transport on the Troncal del Caribe stopped, disrupting trade between Santa Marta and La Guajira.
All schools in Santa Marta closed following the security operation against the ACSN.
Wealthier residents began fleeing to Barranquilla fearing further violence.
Authorities detained five suspects, including one linked to improvised explosives, in Santa Marta and Riohacha.

History

Historical Context

In the late 1990s the Colombian government confronted the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramilitary formed in 1997 that carried out massacres such as the 1997 Mapiripán attack. The resulting civilian displacement spurred negotiations under President Álvaro Uribe, culminating in the 2006 demobilization in which roughly 17,000 AUC fighters surrendered.

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President Deploys Troops

President Abelardo de la Espriella deployed troops to Santa Marta to restore order after gang-linked violence.
He blamed the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces for arson that burned at least three vehicles and threatened merchants.
Governor María Margarita Guerra said more than 1,500 police and military personnel were deployed across the region.
Residents feared shortages, queuing at remaining supermarkets while armed police guarded streets.

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