At the request of the Governor of Cesar, Elvia Milena Sanjuán, a Security Council was held in Valledupar with the presence of the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, police and military forces and mayors of the department, to define the offensive against child prostitution, micro-trafficking , extortion and actions of armed groups.
At the meeting, held in the Tenth Brigade of the National Army, issues related to insecurity were addressed, highlighting the need to articulate efforts to increase the force, but also strengthen investigation and crime prevention measures.
In this regard, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, assured that in the security council the mayors had the opportunity to convey the needs of their communities in terms of security.
“In Cesar, in these first months of the year, there is an improvement in terms of homicides, whose real reduction is 17.1%; also thefts and other crimes. However, more efforts are required and that is why decisions were made to specifically attack extortion and micro-trafficking.”
He highlighted that the crime of extortion has had a significant increase in Cesar, “for this reason, the Gaula will be strengthened and particularly an additional group of 48 members of the Military Gaula will arrive in the territory to increase intelligence and judicial police capabilities, since “The role of the investigation and the Attorney General’s Office is fundamental.”
Another important issue discussed in the security council is the request to the Government to serve as articulators in the face of the alarming increase in child prostitution and drug consumption. “Regarding drug sales, a preventive plan will be developed starting next week, for which the directors of the Criminal Investigation Directorate and Interpol and the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Extortion Directorate will arrive at Cesar with special plans to combat this phenomenon.”
On the other hand, the Government of Cesar committed to managing the acquisition of a shallow draft boat to reinforce surveillance in the Ciénaga de la Zapatosa, a body of water that has served as a channel to commit crimes, mainly drug trafficking.
For her part, the governor of Cesar, Elvia Milena Sanjuán, in her speech was emphatic in telling the Minister of Defense that the crimes of drug trafficking, homicides, extortion, cattle rustling, theft and kidnapping have plagued Cesar, with those responsible being the armed groups outside the law and criminal gangs that must be dismantled to provide peace and tranquility to citizens.