Barrancabermeja reported a 37% reduction in homicides in the first month of 2024.
The Navy Infantry will have more resources for river control on the Magdalena River.
Criminal finances in the region will be hit with the strengthening of Resources in the Middle Magdalena region.
Santander authorities will increase resources to improve citizen security.
Reduction of the figures of several of the crimes with the greatest impact on the inhabitants and the increase in the number of members of the Military Forces to strengthen the security and coexistence of the municipality of Barrancabermeja and the Magdalena Medio region, were announced by the Minister of National Defense, Iván Velásquez, at the end of a security council that he chaired in the petroleum capital city of the department of Santander.
The Minister informed that in the first month of 2024, a 37 percent reduction in homicide cases is already reported: "We hope, with the new security plans that both the National Police, with the municipal administrations and with the department's Governorate, have been implementing, they can produce such positive results in a sustained way, so that we can effectively reach much lower levels of crime in the region and in the department."
He in the same way highlighted that more members of the Military Forces of the Police and Colombian National Army will arrive in the region soon, whose main mission will be to strengthen the security of citizens and confront with more and better resources the organized armed groups that use this region as strategic routes for the trafficking of illicit substances.
“The National Police has 45 more units for this region, 25 of police units for security and 20 additional units specialized in intelligence, investigation, and childhood and adolescence protection. In the same way, Colombian National Army, during this month, has already set four new platoons, about 120 or 130 military units, which are going to be added to a plan designed to reposition the Military Forces, so that they can increase effective control of the territory,” Velásquez said.
At the end of this security council, the national and regional authorities agreed to join efforts to strengthen the resources of the Navy Infantry to provide greater security to the navigators of the Magdalena River, the main river artery of the country.
The head of the Ministry of Defense informed that the support of the Governor of the department will be very valuable to increase the Resources of the Navy Infantry, due to the need to have effective control of the Magdalena River, to have increased river control, which was possible by increasing the resources of the National Navy with the construction of a river element, which are four boats.
Minister Velásquez in the same way informed that, in order to significantly reduce cases of kidnapping and extortion in the region, the Military Forces will establish a military Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group) that will contribute to the fight these crimes.
Finally, the Minister of Defense highlighted the operations carried out by the National Police that led to the arrest of alias Oscar or César, ringleader of the Clan del Golfo. This will lead us to continue with the good results that have been reported at the beginning of the year throughout the region.
Source: Press - Ministry of National Defense
