Colombia’s president sends troops to a Caribbean city after an outburst of violence

On Wednesday, troops were patrolling the usually deserted streets of Colombia's Caribbean resort city of Santa Marta as President Abelardo de la Espriella sought to quell recent violence. The city's working-class northeast neighborhood saw residents lining up for supplies outside limited supermarkets, while police officers equipped with rifles stood guard.

Taxi driver Antonio Ochoa recounted his fear upon waking up and needing to venture out for necessities. On Tuesday, arsonists had set fire to at least three vehicles, including a taxi and a public bus, and armed men threatened merchants openly, plunging the city into fear. President Espriella attributed the incidents to the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces, an armed group blamed for planning to "set fire" to parts of the Caribbean region in retaliation for a military operation that killed José Pérez Villanueva, a key figure in the group known as "Cholo."

The President vowed to pursue them, warning them in a televised address that he would "leave no stone unturned" and "send them to hell in a body bag." Espriella, who took office last month with a promise to crack down on illegal armed groups, deployed troops to Santa Marta for the first time during his administration. He also suspended peace talks with armed groups his predecessor had initiated, including negotiations with self-defense forces like Sierra Nevada.

The group is reportedly active in the departments of Magdalena, La Guajira, and Cesar, with ties to drug trafficking and extortion. Magdalena Governor María Margarita Guerra toured the public market on Wednesday, noting that only vegetable, fruit, and meat stalls remained open. She encouraged vendors to reopen and distributed flyers warning against extortion.

Guerra called on the community to unite and reopen commerce, calling the public market "the heart of commerce." She estimated that over 1,500 additional police officers and military personnel were deployed across the region. Despite the unrest, hundreds of tourists continued to enjoy Santa Marta's beach, savoring music, drinks, and sunbathing while most nearby restaurants and shops remained closed.