Key facts
- Santa Marta, Colombia, was brought to a standstill on Wednesday due to threats from an illegal armed group.
- The Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN) ordered the closure of businesses and transportation.
- The ACSN's actions are in retaliation for the killing of 13 of its members, including a leader, during an Armed Forces operation on Monday.
- President Abelardo De La Espriella ordered 1,100 members of the Armed Forces and National Police to militarize the city.
- The ACSN is involved in cocaine production and trafficking, and extortion of businesses and transportation companies.
- The UN Office for Human Rights in Colombia condemned the violent actions and restrictions on freedom of movement.
The Colombian city of Santa Marta experienced a near-complete shutdown on Wednesday as an illegal armed group, the Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN), enforced threats against local businesses and transportation. This action was a direct retaliation for the killing of 13 ACSN members, including a leader, during an Armed Forces operation on Monday.
The ACSN, which has over 800 members, ordered businesses to close and set public transportation and cargo vehicles on fire on Tuesday. Despite President Abelardo De La Espriella's deployment of 1,100 military and police personnel and his call for residents to resume normal activities, streets remained largely empty and businesses operated with restrictions or remained shut.
The US Embassy in Bogota issued a security alert for Santa Marta and surrounding areas in Magdalena and La Guajira states, advising people to avoid the affected regions. President De La Espriella presided over a security council meeting and patrolled the city, which was also monitored by military fighter jets.
Security sources indicate the ACSN is involved in cocaine production and trafficking, as well as extortion within the transportation and tourism sectors. The group's main commander, known as Bendito Menor, was killed earlier in September along with his girlfriend and two bodyguards. The UN Office for Human Rights in Colombia condemned the group's actions, calling them restrictions on freedom of movement.