COLOMBIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- What is happening Colombia’s president, Abelardo de la Espriella, said on Wednesday, 28 October, that parts of Bogotá need military control against criminal groups.
- Why it matters He issued no order or decree. Troops enter a city only on the president’s final approval, so for now this is an aim.
- The numbers A Bogotá raid that day produced 173 arrests, said the president, and 114 raids and 172 arrests, said the city.
- Who is who De la Espriella, a conservative former defence lawyer, took office on 7 August. Carlos Fernando Galán is Bogotá’s elected mayor.
- What to watch Whether a decree names the zones, how Mayor Galán responds, and when the next monthly security council meets in the capital.
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- What it means for you For US visitors and firms in Bogotá, nothing has changed on the ground yet; check State Department advisories before you travel.
Colombia’s president says parts of Bogotá need military control against criminal groups. No order has been issued, and he named only two areas.
Colombia’s president wants the army to take control of parts of Bogotá, the capital, to stop criminal groups spreading. Abelardo de la Espriella said so on Wednesday, 28 October, at a security meeting held after a large police and army raid.
He named the Sumapaz area and the Usme corridor in the south, but gave no date, decree or troop numbers. The proposal matters to US travellers and investors because Bogotá is Colombia’s main business hub, covered on the Colombia page.
What the President Said
“Hay que tener el control militar en el Sumapaz,” he said, meaning military control is needed there and along the Usme corridor. He added that criminal networks have gained ground step by step.
Sumapaz is a rural mountain district of Bogotá, and Usme lies next to it. He said the capital needs strict control of strategic points, and that no one has dared to solve its problems.
He called Bogotá “a kind of laboratory for all of Colombia” and warned of “enormous risks for the city.” He said security councils will now be held in the capital every month, to review measures and results.
He asked the governor’s office of Cundinamarca, the department around the capital, and Bogotá’s mayor’s office to formalise joint operations. He said strategies had been designed to control the corridors linking Bogotá, the town of Soacha and the surrounding Sabana plateau.
The Raid Behind the Announcement
The security council followed Operation Kratos, an overnight raid in Bogotá on 27 and 28 October. The president said it produced 173 arrests, more than 100 simultaneous searches and the death of one suspected criminal.
The mayor’s office counted 114 searches and 172 arrests against ten criminal structures, so the totals differ by one. The president said the target was Los Ingenieros, a Bogotá criminal group, and called its alleged hitman chief, alias Andresito, dead.
He also named El Mesa, another gang, the ELN guerrillas and the Venezuelan-born Tren de Aragua gang as present in the capital. These are the government’s descriptions; no court has ruled on them.
The president said 630,119 Venezuelans live in Bogotá, 148,955 of them without legal status. He said Venezuelans who commit crimes or have judicial records will be deported “without any delay,” and gave no legal procedure.
Who Can Order Troops Into a City
In Colombia the mayor alone can request military help for a city, and only the president gives final authorisation. Neither citizen signatures nor the Bogotá council can order a patrol.
A separate push reached a milestone in August, when the electoral authority certified 37,056 signatures for an open council session on militarisation. That session is a debate with the mayor present, not a vote on sending troops.
A request by Representative José Jaime Uscátegui, of the conservative Centro Democrático party, became public on 30 September. It asked for troops in Ciudad Bolívar, Kennedy and Bosa, districts that differ from the areas named on 28 October.
The president has used the army in cities before. On 22 September he ordered the Caribbean port city of Santa Marta militarised, after an illegal armed group threatened an armed strike.
In Plain English
- Militarise means putting soldiers in charge of, or alongside police in, an area.
- Sumapaz and Usme are districts at Bogotá’s southern edge, Sumapaz mostly rural.
- Operation Kratos is the name of the overnight raid of 27 and 28 October on criminal groups.
- Registraduría is Colombia’s electoral authority, which checks citizen signatures.
What It Means for You
For US visitors, nothing has changed on the ground, because the president named no start date. Check the US State Department’s current advisory for Colombia before you book.
Investors in Colombian assets should watch for a decree, which would show how far the plan goes and who pays for it. A heavier army role could change security costs for firms with offices in the capital.
Related reports include the Medellín raids with 97 arrests and the capture of a Clan del Golfo chief. The report on Colombia’s mega-prisons plan covers another part of the security push.
What Is Not Known
It is not known which zones would come under military control, since the president named only two areas. No decree, troop numbers, start date or cost has been published.
Mayor Galán’s response to the 28 October proposal had not been found by 29 October. The 7 November date reported for the council’s open session was seen at only one source and is not confirmed.
The arrest totals come from the president and the mayor’s office, and no prosecutor’s statement was found. The alleged links of those arrested to named groups are the government’s claims, not court findings.
What Comes Next
The president says a security council will meet in Bogotá every month, so the next one should come in late November. A decree or a formal request from the mayor would be the first sign that troops will move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the army taking control of Bogotá?
Not yet. President Abelardo de la Espriella proposed military control of some zones on 28 October, but no decree or list of zones exists.
Which parts of Bogotá did the president name?
He named the Sumapaz area and the Usme corridor, both on the city’s southern edge. He did not say which other zones he means.
What was Operation Kratos?
It was an overnight raid in Bogotá on 27 and 28 October against criminal groups. The president reported 173 arrests; the mayor’s office counted 172 arrests and 114 searches.
Who can send troops into a Colombian city?
The mayor can request it, and the president, as commander of the armed forces, gives final approval. Signatures or a council debate cannot order it.
Is it safe for US travellers to visit Bogotá?
Nothing has changed on the ground yet. Check the US State Department’s current advisory for Colombia before you travel.
Sources: Presidency of Colombia, statements at the Bogotá security council, 28 October 2026; Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá (mayor’s office), Operation Kratos tally, 28 October 2026 (bogota.gov.co); Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, certification of the signature count, August 2026 (registraduria.gov.co); Código Nacional de Seguridad y Convivencia, Article 170 on military assistance (all checked 29 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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