Colombia’s Clan del Golfo attacks vehicles to protest Otoniel extradition -government
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Not less than 100 automobiles have been destroyed on highways throughout northern Colombia in remoted assaults by the Clan del Golfo prison gang, which introduced an “armed strike” to protest the extradition of former chief Dairo Antonio Usuga, generally known as Otoniel, to the USA, the federal government stated on Friday.
The four-day armed strike, meant to limit the motion of automobiles and folks, together with compelled closure of companies, started on Thursday and is especially affecting the Antioquia, Bolivar, Cordoba and Sucre provinces, officers stated.
Colombia extradited Otoniel, who’s accused of drug trafficking and being the chief of the Clan del Golfo, to the USA on Wednesday, following his seize in October final yr. Otoniel pleaded not responsible on Thursday to the U.S. drug trafficking fees and was ordered detained in New York pending trial.
“We’re right here to ensure the safety of Colombians and confront all those that need to have an effect on the tranquility in these affluent areas of the nation with prison functions,” Protection Minister Diego Molano stated in Monteria, the capital of Cordoba.
Molano introduced elevated patrols in cities, municipalities and alongside highways to revive order and shield site visitors and companies, and hiked rewards for info resulting in the arrest of the brand new leaders of Clan del Golfo.
The minister additionally introduced the creation of a search block unit of the armed forces to safe their seize.
Following Otoniel’s seize, Wilver Giraldo and Jesus Avila Villadiego, generally known as Sipoas and Chiquito Malo, respectively, took over management of the Clan del Golfo, Molano stated. He raised the reward for info serving to to find and seize them to round $1.2 million.
Army personnel and members of Colombia’s Nationwide Police captured 44 individuals committing assaults, Inside Minister Daniel Palacios stated, including that vans, buses, vehicles and bikes have been broken within the assaults.
(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Enhancing by Leslie Adler)
