The poor quarters of Medellín are technically under war this month. The gangs of northern districts are fighting each other to control the drug deal nets of the city. But the number of security forces have increased in the streets of barrios like Doce de Octubre, Castilla, Aranjuez and many others to avoid the proliferation of violence and murders, especially among young people. We were trying to get any testimonial from persons involved in gangs, but it has been impossible for now. Manuel, 45 (his name is fictional to protect his identity), gave us an impression of the events. He lives in one of the barrios under fire.
CP/CR: What is happening in the barrios?
Manuel: Yes, there is a lot security and a curfew after 8 in the night, especially for young people and minors. The police comes in the night and takes any boy who is on the street after 8…
CP/CR: What they do with the boys?
Manuel: They bring them to the station, but prevent them to stay at home. Nights are very silent these days in the barrios.
CP/CR: Why the curfew?
Manuel: Yes, it is because some gangs are fighting each other and they have killed some boys recently. But now there is a lot security, many policemen going around. When there is any problem among the gangs, the police comes almost immediately.
CP/CR: Why the killings? Who kills?
Manuel: I don’t know well. They say that people from the Envigado Office (Oficina de Envigado)… because the police gave them a blow, now they are trying to conquer these barrios. So they kill boys of the gangs, those who distribute drugs. They have killed some boys at the gate of the schools. One thinks that that boy was a good man and one is sorry… why they killed him… then after you get to know that the boy was a drug dealer… it is like a kind of social cleansing…
CP/CR: But why if it is made by other drug dealers…?
Manuel: Yes, you do not know well what to say… better say nothing.
CP/CR: Have you seen shootings?
Manuel: No, but I”ve heard… Recently some. In the night. But no deaths. It is like the gangs shoot trying to chase the police. But now, things are better, because there are many policemen around the streets. They are capturing those involved in gangs.
CP/CR: Do you think that the peace in Medellín has been damaged?
Manuel: Now yes. For example, they killed a young leader… the rapper of La Iguaná, I think. That is worrying, because they kill the good people. Who will like to be a leader in the barrios? The people get afraid.
The murder of Colacho, a rapper young leader
Héctor Pachecho (Colacho), a communitarian leader and rapper.
Colacho was a young leader of 20 years old in one of the poorest quarters of Medellín, Barrio Eduardo Santos, west of the city. His murder on last 24 August produced a general rejection in Medellín. His real name was Héctor Pacheco and he was a rapper.
The police captured Tato, the main suspect of his murder. Tato is 22 years old and belongs to La Agonía gang (The Agony), a group of gansters in the same barrio leaded by Valenciano. The gang wants to control the Envigado Office, the drug dealer cartel that was strongly defeated by the police, causing a power vacuum among the different gangs. The Police reported that Tato was delegated by the gang to take control over the drug nets in the Eduardo Santos quarter. It seems like it was the main reason why this criminal killed the well known young leader.
Barrios with curfew in Medellín
Mayor Alonso Salazar ordered the extension of curfews for more troublesome sectors of the city. It is applied especially to young people who are prevented to stay on the streets after 8 PM. The security measure has given good results in barrios like Doce de Octubre where there was not a single murder during the last week, according with the reports of the same Mayor. Manrique and Aranjuez are not included in the official curfew and it is possible that it will extended to other sectors of the city like downtown.
The proposal is included in what Salazar calls ‘Security Zones‘ to reduce numbers of criminality and the fighting among gangs through the intervention to expenditures of drugs and guns. The program is improving also the technology of the police to guarantee the effectiveness of their protection to the communities.
Security plans for Medellin, proposals of the Mayor
The answer to the recent events of violence in Medellín has not been only in the increase of security forces to the barrios. Mayor Alonso Salazar has designed a plan that he called ‘The Alliance for the Life‘ to involve young people to fight criminality through cultural activities and reconciliation.
The plan includes figures like ‘Secure Zones’ that means barrios or sectors with high security. It works already in the industrial sector of the city and districts like Belén and Colombia with private vigilance, systems of alarm and communitarian police. The Secure Zone will be soon extended to Medellín downtown.
Salazar will forward also the program ‘None children on the streets‘. It intends to eradicate child begars throught a agreements with their families. If the children still on the streets, they will be brought to Bienestar Familiar.
[...] the several gangs throughout the Metropolitan Area of Medellín. The recent events of violence in different sectors, especially poorest districts like Doce de Octubre, Castilla and Aranjuez, is explained in the [...]