Colombia: Police ambushed in Antioquia August 8

Event

Gunmen attacked a group of police agents on patrol in Antioquia department on Tuesday, August 8, leaving one officer dead. The attack occurred in Toyo, on the road connecting the municipalities of Giraldo and Cañasgordas (Route 62), in the west of Antioquia. According to the authorities, the police patrol is believed to have been ambushed by members of the AGC paramilitary group (also known as Los Urabeños or the Gulf Clan).

Context

Paramilitary crime organizations (BACRIM) such as the AGC have replaced leftist guerrillas as the most serious armed threat in Colombia. These groups are involved in a variety of illicit activities, including drug-trafficking, smuggling, illegal mining, extortion, and assassinations. BACRIM groups have begun expanding into territories vacated by the FARC, leading to a rise in violence, including assassinations of local landowners and community leaders. The government has pledged to increase the presence of security forces in these areas, but the deployment has been slow. The AGC is believed to have some 8000 members and controls many drug smuggling routes along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of the country.

Advice

Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, and the ELN rebel group - many Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country, particularly rural zones, with the notable exceptions of the northern Caribbean regions and central areas (including Bogotá).