In dialogue with departmental and municipal authorities in the coffee region and Northern Valle del Cauca, the road recovery plan was strengthened.
The National Police will have more members of the ESMAD, members of the available Force and traffic and Transport Police officers for the municipality of Cartago.
In order to strengthen the security and defense of the citizens, it was carried out for the weekend a Security Council expanded, led by the president, Iván Duque, accompanied by the ministers of Defense, Agriculture, mining and Transportation, and the military high command and Police officers of the Coffee Axis and the Valley of Cauca.
The president announced the strengthening of the intervention Plan, in addition to the prioritization and support operations, with the support of the Military Forces, for the recovery of the roads, amid the different blockades that occur in the region to ensure the transit of medicines, oxygen, supply, fuel and the free movement of the citizens of the region.
The Defense minister, Diego Molano Aponte, said the Commander of the Army, general Eduardo Enrique Zapateiro, and the Director of Transit and Transport of the National Police major general, Juan Alberto Libreros, will personally coordinate the implementation of the operations of the Military Forces in support of local authorities and to the benefit of the citizenship.
"With departmental and municipal authorities it was decided to maintain the caravans safe supply, support the productive sector and facilitate the free movement of citizens. The National Army and the police will continue to accompany the recovery and maintenance of the roads," explained Minister Diego Molano.
To strengthen the intervention in the municipality of Cartago, it was announced that the National Police will have an additional effort that includes more members of the Military Forces of the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad, members of the available Force and traffic police officers.
In addition, it was emphasized that the cases of extortion of transporters in the Department of the Valle are unacceptable and called for exemplary punishments to be applied: "vandals who extort money from transporters in 11 municipalities of the Valley will have to face justice. The prosecution already has evidence material, " the minister said.
Source: Defence Sector Communications Office – Ministry of National Defence
