{
  "id": 9443154,
  "title": "Colombia president orders troops to violence-hit Caribbean city",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/colombia-president-orders-troops-to-violence-hit-caribbean-city",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T23:28:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/09/1539749/colombia-president-orders-troops-violence-hit-caribbean-city"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has deployed troops to the Caribbean city of Santa Marta following a violent backlash against the killing of one of the armed group Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada's (ACSN) leaders. Videos posted online showed ACSN members riding through the city on motorbikes, attacking open businesses, and setting vehicles ablaze despite a 48-hour curfew. The city, which serves as a gateway to the popular tourist destination Tayrona National Park, was left deserted with many shops shuttered. De la Espriella ordered the military to \"militarise\" Santa Marta following the deaths of 13 ACSN members, including the group's second-in-command known as \"Cholo.\" The president vowed to put any non-compliant individuals \"in prison or a tomb,\" emphasizing that anyone who does not submit will be taken down. The recent violence follows the killing of ACSN commander \"Bendito Menor\" in La Guajira just a month ago. De la Espriella, a US-backed leader, has pledged a strong response against Colombia's drug-running groups, including bombing raids on guerrilla camps and press conferences next to rebel corpses. The ACSN, with an estimated 800 members, is one of many armed groups De la Espriella's leftist predecessor Gustavo Petro had failed to negotiate peace with.",
  "summary": "SANTA MARTA, (Colombia): Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella sent troops into the Caribbean city of Santa Marta on Tuesday after gunmen attacked shops and burnt vehicles following the killing of one of their leaders.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}