23.04.201814:21:00UTC+00COLOMBIA: Santos Orders Deployment Of Public Force In Catatumbo

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the deployment of the public force to Catatumbo, in the Norte de Santander department (state), to preserve public order amid confrontations between armed groups.

Santos announced that Vice President Oscar Naranjo, the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Rivera, and other high-level officials were sent to the Catatumbo region to speak with the mayors and the communities and look for the solutions. These officials joined the Commander of the Military Forces, who has been in the region to lead the actions.

"I have asked the Vice President, the Minister of the Interior, other members of the Cabinet and other officials to move to Catatumbo, to speak with the communities, to speak with the mayors, to find an early solution to this situation," Santos said.

He added that security is being harmed by the confrontations between some illegal armed groups and that the National Government and the Public Force are acting to control the situation.