What next for Santa Marta after De la Espriella militarized the coastal city?
An uneasy calm settled over Santa Marta on Wednesday, with the Caribbean-facing boardwalk of the city’s historic waterfront noticeably quieter than usual, its bustling street vendors absent and the early-morning joggers few and far between. Across the old city, colonial streets that would normally be filling with residents, tourists and workers remained largely empty. Shops […]
Santa Marta's coastal city witnessed an uneasy calm on Wednesday as the military presence became apparent. President Abelardo De la Espriella's arrival in the city was marked by a bulletproof vest and a pistol, accompanied by heavily armed security personnel. The normally bustling streets were eerily empty with shops closed, restaurants shuttered, and residents notably absent.
The military deployment in Santa Marta aimed to quell the threat posed by the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), also known as 'Los Pachenca'. The group had declared a 48-hour armed strike following the killing of José Luis Pérez Villanueva, believed to be the second-in-command. However, the city's immediate challenge shifted from whether the military could occupy the streets to what comes next.
The government affirmed that Santa Marta is under control, but the empty streets and disrupted commerce tell a different story. The armed strike by the ACSN had already impacted business operations, transport, and tourism, leading to reports of businesses closing and vehicles being attacked. The Colombian Air Force deployed 4 Kfirs from Barranquilla to fly over Santa Marta, and President De la Espriella promised that the military would remain on the streets.
The city's economy heavily relies on tourism, restaurants, hotels, transport, and street commerce, making the longer-term transition to normalcy a significant challenge. While the military deployment in Santa Marta is part of a broader offensive against the ACSN, the broader goal of the government is not to revive the peace process with the group, but to restore territorial control and dismantle organized crime.
The success of this approach will be tested in Santa Marta, as the city moves from demonstrating military control to restoring a sense of security for residents and visitors.
Written by urgent.news from The City Paper Bogotá's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- The Santa Marta emperor’s new clothes colombiareports.com
