In 106 days, 101 people have been killed in Cartagena

In the 106 days that have elapsed in 2022, 101 people have been killed in Cartagena. This means that almost every day of the year a citizen has died violently in the capital of Bolivar.

Authorities detail that most murders occurred during the first month of the year. From January 1 to 31, 35 homicides were recorded, of which 18 cases were from assassinations, 15 were for quarrels, one for robbery and the other for an alleged lynching. This season was the most violent of the last eight years in Cartagena.

The list also reports 24 murders in February, of which 13 cases were in assassinations, 9 in quarrels and the remaining in circumstances to be clarified. In March, there were 31 murders, 23 of them in assassinations, six in quarrels and one in robbery. The rest of the cases occurred in the first two weeks of April.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that of the 54 cases of hit men reported in 2022, 39 are related to the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, also known as the Gulf Clan, and the GDO Los Robledos, a gang that arrived from Medellín at the end of last year. These groups are contesting the territory in order to collect criminal income from microtrafficking.

On the other hand, it was indicated that 36 homicides “have been caused by social intolerance (quarrels, domestic violence, among others)”.

The Bolívar Sectional Prosecutor's Office assured that of the 106 reported homicides, 42.61% have been clarified. This advance has meant the capture of 55 suspected killers, 30 of them in flagrante and 25 by court order. 243 firearms and more than 5,500 sharps have also been seized. It was also concluded that several cases of hit men were ordered by alias 'Paty Paty', head of the Gulf Clan in Cartagena, and by two other subjects known as 'Marrana Gorda' and 'Colorado'.

This is a significant increase in the number of murders that occurred in the city during the first 100 days of the year. It is highlighted that in 2021, the number of reported homicides was reached in the first half (June 30), not during a quarter. During the first six months of last year, the reported cases of homicide were: 23 in January, 15 in February, 19 in March, 10 in April, 21 in May and 13 in June. At the end of April 2021, the murders were 57 and at the end of May 78.

The authorities say they are taking action to ensure that these numbers of homicides decrease. Operations will be intensified to dismantle the structure of the Gulf Clan and Los Robledos operating in Cartagena.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the authorities have the task of ending child sex trafficking networks in the city, another problem that is growing this year. Apparently adults are offering Cartagena girls and young people as if they were merchandise. On average, they charge 200,000 pesos (about $53) for them.

In response to the allegations, the Cartagena Police assured that the strategy 'That is not going' is active, with which crowded places in the city have been intervened and more than 30 suspected pimps have been captured. The authorities said they are committed to continuing to be present on the beaches and throughout the tourism sector of Cartagena.

According to figures from the Colombian Institute for National Family Welfare, during 2021 in Cartagena 660 processes were carried out to restore rights due to sexual violence, and of these 26 correspond to Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (ESCNNA).

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