Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella held a security council meeting in the coastal city of Santa Marta on Friday, as authorities sought to address violence in the city, following unrest earlier this week.
De la Espriella said the government's goal was to permanently recover and consolidate state control in affected areas, vowing to pursue those responsible for the violence.
The unrest followed operations by the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), a narco-paramilitary group with a presence extending from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and its surrounding areas, against merchants, transporters, and citizens.
On Tuesday, trucks and buses were set on fire, and there were reports of shootings and threats against business owners, according to local media.
The president also announced that Santa Marta would be included in Colombia's Urban Security and Defence Operational Block (BOSUT), which will focus on combating extortion, homicide, drug trafficking and other high-impact crimes.
Soldiers and police officers were deployed across the city after De la Espriella ordered the militarization of Santa Marta earlier this week.
