The command of the Twenty-Third Brigade of the National Army about the situation in the municipality of El Rosario, Nariño, denounces:
1. On March 21 of this year, in the municipality of El Rincón, units belonging to the Infantry Battalion No. 9 Batalla de Boyacá, while carrying out territorial control tasks to counteract the operations in the area of the residual organized armed group Franco Benavides Structure, were tumultuously and violently surrounded by approximately 2000 people, apparently inhabitants of the sector, who using bad words, threatening words and whistling, demanded the military personnel leave the sector.
2. There is information that this criminal structure would be inciting people to carry out this type of activities, with the intention of preventing the troops of maintaining their operations against nodal points where there is a heavy presence of all the links of the drug trafficking chain.
3. The troops went to dialogue with the civilians, explained that it was in fulfillment of a constitutional duty, taking operations to mitigate the risks warned in early warning 082 2018 and 036 2020 of the office of the Ombudsman, originated in assistance to the situation of vulnerability of indigenous communities, afro-colombian and mestizo of the municipalities of Cumbitara, El Rosario, Leiva and Policarpa.
However, the inhabitants refused to listen, and through a riot they coerced the military personnel to prevent them from continuing to conduct the operations.
The members of the Military Forces, respecting the human rights of the inhabitants, agreed to withdraw of the area, being taken to the municipal seat of El Rosario by the protesters, who were traveling in vehicles and motorcycles.
4. On March 22 and 23, similar situations occurred in the villages of La Sierra and La Esmeralda, where military units were surrounded by people who would be inhabitants of the area, and who expressed their dissatisfaction with the military work.
To face the situation, in a forced way by the protesters, the troops withdrew of the sector to the urban area of El Rosario.
5. On March 24, a security meeting was held in the municipal seat of El Rosario, where government and local authorities, members of the Military Forces and civilians participated, to present the risks warned in the different early warnings. The importance and necessity of the work of the National Army in this sector was highlighted.
6. The Command of the Twenty-Third Brigade calls on the municipal and governmental authorities, so that from their roles and functions they conduct the legal operations against these events conducted by the civilians, in compliance with the constitutional principle of harmonious collaboration to be conducted by the institutions.
In the same way, people are urged not to obstruct military operations, since this can be criminal behavior, such as those listed in articles226, 429 and 469 of the Colombian Criminal Code.
7. The National Army will continue to carry out military operations in the department of Nariño, aimed at working to ensure the safety of civilians.
