Defense Minister Diego Andrés Molano Aponte announced the six-month extension of the Military Forces' Comprehensive Special Intervention Plan for Buenaventura during his visit to the port on the Pacific, where he in the same way distributed 34 motorcycles to the National Police, while activating three new platoons to strengthen the security of the city, two of the Navy Infantry and one of the National Army, so that the rates continue to improve.
“The 400 additional men of Police that they were in the Port of Buenaventura, will stay for six months,” with these words, the head of the ministry of Defence gave the order to start the Third Phase of the Plan of Special intervention in the District of Buenaventura, the strategy of the national Government with which it seeks to work on the security for the Bonaverenses.
In the same sense, Minister Molano stated that one of the purposes of this Special Intervention Plan is to prevent the illegal recruitment of young people and minors. “Here we have to take our young people away from the hands of these groups; they have the ability to steal the future from young people to engage them in illegality. Here the common purpose is not to arrest and prosecute, but to rescue a generation of young people of Buenventura so that they are on the side of legality,” Molano explained while inviting young people linked to criminal groups to join the Youth Transformation with Legality program of the National Police and the Colombian Navy, with which they seek to rescue young people involved in criminal activities and the surrender of their weapons.
Molano reported that the Youth Transformation with Legality program has managed to prevent 690 young people, who were at risk, from being recruited, and that some of those who were already part of criminal groups, surrender their weapons and will move to the side of legality in exchange for receiving monthly economic support as an incentive for study and training.
Finally, local authorities reported that, alias Fercho, of the Los Chotas group, and alias Carnicero, of the La Local group, had already been arrested; they were in the list of the Buenaventura most wanted men. So, 54 arrests have been made in 2022 and a ton of cocaine and a ton and a half of marijuana have been found.
“In this port legality must prevail and justice must prevail. All those who have transgressed the Law and intimidated the people of Buenaventura will be arrested,” said the chief of Defense after his visit to the port of Buenaventura.
Source: Defence Sector Communications Office – Ministry of National Defence
