US Inaugurates New Colombia Rural Police Base In Calamar, Guaviare

On February 18, Director of the Colombian National Police (CNP), MG. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement’s (INL) Colombia Director, Brian Harris, inaugurated a new police base in the municipality of Calamar, Guaviare. The base will enable the CNP to expand its presence in the area, increasing citizen security, protecting human rights, and disrupting organized criminal activities.

More than 40 police from the Directorate of Carabineros and Rural Security (DICAR) and Guaviare’s Departmental Police will use the air conditioned base to expand patrols, support the community, prevent environmental crimes, and combat narcotrafficking. In addition to the construction, DICAR, with INL support, developed activities together with the community of Calamar aimed at preventing violence and building trust between citizens and police.

As INL Colombia Director Brian Harris remarked during the event: “It’s clear that increasing police presence in rural areas like Calamar that are affected by drug trafficking, the presence of armed groups, and violence is key to improving security and achieving a sustainable peace.”

INL will continue to partner with Colombian agencies to expand citizen security in strategic rural areas that have not yet benefited from the positive security and economic trends in other parts of the country.

US State Department photos by Pedro Moreno