10 Apr 2018 | 02:12 AM UTC
Colombia: Increased violence in Bajo Cauca (Antioquia department)
Authorities dispatch nearly 400 additional police officers to Bajo Cauca area of Antioquia department due to spike in violence as of early April
Event
Colombian authorities deployed an additional 390 police officers to the Bajo Cauca area of Antioquia department in early April due to an increase in homicides. Police have linked the rise in violence to anti-gang operations by security forces. The most violent municipalities in the area are Cáceres, Caucasia, and Tarazá.
Context
At least 111 murders have taken place in the Bajo Cauca area in 2018 as of April 8. The majority of such incidents have been attributed to clashes between criminal groups, with 63 occurring in rural areas and the remainder in urban zones.
Advice
Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including drug cartels, right-wing militias, and local gangs, and the ELN guerilla group - some Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country, including parts of Antioquia.
