Overview
- A security operation in the Sierra Nevada that killed José Luis Pérez Villanueva, alias 'Cholo', prompted the ACSN to announce a 48-hour paro armado and carry out vehicle burnings, blockades, shootings and threats on Tuesday.
- President Abelardo De la Espriella ordered the militarization of Santa Marta, personally toured the city with security forces and said the state would use force to dismantle the ACSN's leadership.
- The government deployed more than 1,100 members of the Fuerza Pública, including army troops, special police units and air overflights, and officials reported arrests and cleared some obstruction points.
- Residents and journalists continued to report empty streets, closed businesses and transport disruptions while the U.S. Embassy advised citizens to avoid affected areas and follow local instructions.
- The ACSN is a paramilitary-derived group tied to drug routes and extortion that has long operated in the Sierra Nevada and Magdalena regions, making leadership strikes likely to produce short-term reprisals and wider economic and human-rights concerns for Santa Marta's tourism-dependent population.