Colombia militarises Cúcuta following murder of mayoral candidate and explosion
The Colombian government ordered the militarisation of Cúcuta following the murder of candidate Miguel Castellanos and an explosion from an explosive device that left six people injured.
Operation Sparta deployed in Cúcuta after a week of violence on the Venezuela border
According to eldiariodeguayana.com.ve, the Colombian government ordered the militarisation of Cúcuta, a city on the border with Venezuela, after less than a week saw the shooting death of a politician and the detonation of an explosive device that left six people injured.
"I have ordered the immediate militarisation of Cúcuta. This militarisation will be temporary, whilst we stabilise public order," declared Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella to the media.
The president stated that he would not permit "narco-terrorism from continuing to sow fear and threaten families" in the department of Norte de Santander or its capital. As part of the announced measures, from Tuesday 3 November an operation called Sparta, involving military and police forces, will begin operations alongside a security unit in the city.
"These capabilities will allow us to intensify operations against terrorism, pursue those responsible for the violence, strike at criminal finances and dismantle the organisations that seek to subject the population," emphasised De la Espriella, who also announced a visit to Cúcuta the following week to assess progress.
The trigger for these measures was the murder on Monday last of Cúcuta's mayoral candidate, Miguel Castellanos Serrano. The politician was shot dead near a petrol station in Norte de Santander, on one of the few occasions he travelled without security.
Castellanos was a retired police major and had held the position of municipal Secretary of Government, a post from which he fought crime, promoted access to justice, recovery of public space and animal protection.
The following day, Tuesday, four civilians and two police officers were injured after the detonation of an explosive device near the international bridge connecting Cúcuta with Venezuela.
The city, owing to its border position and proximity to the Catatumbo region, has been the scene for decades of activity by guerrilla groups and drug trafficking networks that control drug trafficking and smuggling in the area.
Source: Google News VE — Crime