Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez in a meeting with the Aerospace Force and the National Navy
The Government of Change announced that, with the support of the Cauca Governorate and the mayoralties of the affected municipalities, the construction damaged by terrorist attacks will be rebuilt and house vouchers will be given to the families whose houses are not habitable, as well as access to temporary shelters.
With the deployment of six units of Colombian National Army in the Micay Canyon, supported by the Aerospace Forcea and the National Navy, the Military Forces responded to the order of President Gustavo Petro to take control of that territory in Cauca and provide protection to the families hit by the terrorist operations of the Central General Staff (EMC).
The Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, after touring the areas hit by the EMC and meeting with the communities, victims of the law and order riots in Potrerito, Valle del Cauca, confirmed the humanitarian operations.
He announced the increased operations of the Military Forces and the support of the Government of Change to the victims of these heinous acts. He in the same way condemned the terrorist acts against the Military Forces committed during the last week by that illegal organization in different parts of the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca.
The EMC is the Central General Staff has its origin in some fronts of the former FARC that did not sign the Peace Agreement and abandoned that pact due to various reasons.
The military operations in these three municipalities of Cauca have been completed for two months and aim to evict this illegal organization of the strategic route, where they seek to control illicit activities such as drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion.
The operations of the Military Forces extended to Guache, Timba (Cauca) and other areas with disturbance of law and order.
Minister Velásquez explained that “the recent terrorist acts of an organization that claims to represent the people, but, in reality, harms the inhabitants and directs its operations against the communities, is to generate restlessness and terror in the inhabitants.”
“With these attacks, this armed group intends to disperse the Military Forces in the territory in an attempt to reduce the decisive operations that military have carried out in El Plateado,” Minister of Defense assured.
Regarding an EMC statement of surrender to a ceasefire, he said “We hope that this announcement is genuine and comes from these structures in southwestern Colombia. But it does not mean that the Military Forces are going to reduce their operations. The Military Forces will continue to assume their responsibility and carry out operations.
Source: Government Information System with information of the Ministry of National Defense
