Attorney General's Office pronounces on the situation in Chocó and asks the government for security measures

Recently there were clashes between criminal groups, which left 2 dead and 4 injured, but the situation has been going on for quite some time, which has forced many people to leave their territories. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that of the more than 15,000 displaced persons, most come from the Pacifico region, specifically from Chocó and Nariño.

That is why the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation issued a statement, after holding meetings with the authorities, which provided figures on the various public order situations. In the document, they asked the units of the security forces to act immediately, in order to ensure the safety of the community; in addition, it rejected the acts of violence and criminal actions that have been committed in the department.

“It is important to attend to persons who have been victims of forced displacement and confinement, which includes the timely request for resources from both the Government and the Unit for the Comprehensive Care and Reparation of Victims, UARIV, which is requested, to lead the processes of restoration of rights and return of people affected by this problem”.

The Public Ministry added that rural areas should be prioritized, developing a strategy. The Public Prosecutor's Office also ensures that it will monitor the humanitarian situation in Chocó, threats to different populations and cultures, warnings about forced displacement and other human rights violations.

The Attorney General's Office said that the most affected populations of the department are in the regions of: Bajo Atrato, Baudó, Darién, Medio Atrato, Pacifico and San Juan. There, more than 20 municipalities suffered at least one violent act during 2022.

The border department also faces problems in the area of health, due to the lack of payments to professionals, in addition to the fact that medical supplies do not arrive, so there is no adequate care for citizens.

In addition, the department has alerts issued by IDEAM, in different areas due to the strong winter wave, where landslides, floods and overflows could occur. But the issue of public order is the one that most worries the inhabitants; the presence of various armed groups, such as the so-called Gulf Clan, for example, have been flogged and even confined to various populations.

In fact, the representative of Chocó, Domingo Ramos, asked that the capital of the department, Quibdo, be militarized because of the armed clashes that have left several fatalities, including some children. “It is regrettable what is happening in Quibdó, we have been expressing this alert for more than a year and a half, because of the anxiety that this war between gangs generates in the city. We reject this wave of violence, and I urgently call on the National Government to militarize the city of Quibdo, because we know that there is a shortage of uniformed personnel from the public forces.”

Even the Catholic Church has demonstrated, calling for the cessation of war activities. A letter issued by some social organizations, in conjunction with the bishops of the diocese of Istmina, Apartadó and Quibdo, points out that there is a territorial dispute between the armed actors, which has led to confinements, displacement, deaths and injuries; collective killings have been committed, and even episodes of anti-personnel mines.

The Army has explained that criminal groups have tried to infiltrate some uniformed personnel, according to the commander of the Seventh Division of the Army, Major General Juvenal Díaz, several attempts have been detected to enter the military ranks, pretending to perform military service.

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