US to help Colombia fight urban crime .

[Judi Lynn]

US to help Colombia fight urban crime .
Monday, 30 August 2010 11:35 Adriaan Alsema

The United States will help Colombia to combat soaring homicide rates in the country's biggest cities, a U.S. embassy official told Spanish press agency Efe.

According to Narcotics Affairs Director Dann Foott, the United States government is concerned about violence in cities like Medellin and will support Colombia's national police with "equipment, resources and the strengthening of security."
/b]
The destruction of big criminal organizations like the Medellin and Cali cartels in the 1990s, and the AUC paramilitary coalition in the early years of this century, caused the drug trafficking business to become fragmented. The rise of smaller groups trying to control the drug trade responsible for the violence, the U.S. official said.

"My department is working a lot with General Naranjo to try to increase the capacity of the police in the fight against these criminal gangs," said Foott.

Gang warfare has been most violent in Medellin, where in the first half of 2010 1,250 homicides were committed and 2,300 people were forced to leave their homes because of violence or threats, according to data provided by the city's ombudsman.

According to Ombudsman Jairo Herran, Medellin has some 400 gangs, of which 200 are active, and there are a total of 5,000 members.

bThese gangs "are formed by paramilitaries that never demobilized, by former paramilitaries that entered government reintegration programs and recruited young men," the ombudsmen said.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11574-us-to-assist-in-colombian-urban-crime-fight.html

Editorials:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x558262

[flamingdem]

1. hmm putting lipstick on the pigs so it seems nt

[rabs]

2. What about the Colombian tourist paradise

that a poster was touting just recently on this forum?

Looks like it's not only Medellin.

From the article:
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The homicide rates in other Colombian cities like Cali, Bogota and Barranquilla have seen a similar rise since the beginning of 2009.

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Btw, five more Colombian troops were killed today in ambush by the ELN. MinDefense called an emergency meeting tonight in Bogota to deal with the recent FARC and today's ELN attacks. Looks like the "democratic security" that uribito boasted about is not working for JM Santos.

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Editing to add following update:

MinDefense Rodrigo Rivera speaking after emergency meeting with honchos of the armed forces tonight:

"El terrorismo no evidencia fortaleza, demuestra debilidad y desesperación", afirmó el ministro Rivera tras el encuentro.

--"Terrorism is not showing strength, it shows weakness and desperation." (Yep, the Colombian armed forces have the FARC and ELN just where they want them :shrug: )


Rivera no anunció nuevas medidas ante esta nueva ola de violencia, pero advirtió que las últimas acciones de la guerrilla no son un triunfo de los terroristas y cerró definitivamente la puerta al diálogo con la guerrilla.

Rivera did not announce new (security) measures after the new wave of violence, but warned that the recent actions by the guerrillas were not a victory for the terrorists and (Rivera) definitely shut the door to dialogue with the guerrillas. (So the conflict will continue indefinitely.)

La reunión en el Ministerio de Defensa se dio tras la muerte de cinco soldados y 17 más heridos en enfrentamientos con el Eln en Antioquia.

The meeting in the Defense Ministry came after the deaths of five soldiers and 17 wounded in a battle with the ELN in Antioquia.

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Not good for JM Santos. Maybe he will bring back uribito :rofl:

[naaman fletcher]

3. You mean like the new Marriot going up in Cali?

Meanwhile: At least Colombia keeps statistics and recognizes them. Chavez just says there are no official statistics. Meanwhile there are no big new hotels going up in Caracas.

And I never said Colombia was a tourist paradise.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Medellin arrest 75 suspected gang members

Medellin arrest 75 suspected gang members
Monday, 06 September 2010 12:59 Adriaan Alsema

Police in Colombia's second largest city Medellin say they arrested 75 alleged gang members in the past week.

The detainees are alleged to be members of the criminal organizations of paramilitary bosses Maximiliano Bonilla, alias "Valenciano," and Erickson Vargas, alias "Sebastian," who are caught up in a battle for control over the city's underworld.

According to a press release, the arrests are part of a national offensive against drug trafficking gangs in which 137 alleged criminals were arrested.

Among the arrested is Juan Guillermo Franco Lujan, alleged leader of the "La Sexta" gang, which is active in the troubled Comuna 13 neighborhood.

Gangs in Medellin are believed to have between 3,000 and 5,000 members, and are held responsible for the wave of violence that has killed 3,000 in the city over the past two years.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11691-medellin-arrest-75-suspected-gang-members.html