Al Jazeera English · Transcript · · Updated
Colombia deploys troops after armed group strike shuts Santa Marta – Transcript
Video by Al Jazeera English · Watch the original on YouTube
Summary
AI-generated from the transcript. Verify details against the source video.
- The drug trafficking armed group ACSN declared a 48-hour armed strike in Santa Marta, blocking roads, burning vehicles, and threatening merchants.
- President Gustavo Petro responded to the unrest and a security operation by ordering troops onto the streets of Santa Marta.
- President Gustavo Petro has relied on military operations and closer US security cooperation rather than negotiating with armed groups.
Use this video with Pro
Reading, copying and transcript downloads are free. Create saved AI results for this video with a signed-in Pro account ($9/month).
Transcript
Search ignores accents. All transcript text stays visible.
A wave of attacks brought the coastal city of Santa Marta to a standstill this week. Members of the drug trafficking armed group known as Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada or ACSN, blocked roads, burned vehicles, and threatened merchants who opened their shops after declaring a 48-hour armed strike.
The unrest followed a security operation outside the city that killed seven members of the group including its second-in-command. President Gustavo Petro who promised an iron fist against crime responded by ordering troops onto the streets. He arrived in Santa Marta late Tuesday carrying a handgun and promising to restore order.
>> As president of the republic, I guarantee your safety and the presence of our military and our police. And rest assured that we will soon track down those responsible for this entire campaign of terror. >> By Wednesday, soldiers and police were patrolling the largely deserted streets.
Burned-out vehicles and shattered storefronts showed the impact of the shutdown on the city of 600,000 people, one of Colombia's main tourist destinations. Residents say the heavy security presence brought some relief but also skepticism over how long it would last.
>> The groups make the law here and people obey out of fear. Now that the army is patrolling the streets, we feel safer, too. But honestly, I'd say it's only for a week at most. After that, they'll leave and the city and neighborhoods will go back to the way they were.
>> Since taking office, Gustavo Petro has moved away from his predecessor's attempts to negotiate with armed groups, relying instead on military operations and closer US security cooperation. But the violence in Santa Marta shows the price of that approach.
>> Late on Wednesday, it seemed like the armed group was calling off the strike and some businesses were slowly reopening. But while this shutdown could be over, the government's confrontation with the armed groups is just intensifying. Alessandro Rampieti, Al Jazeera, Bogota.