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Cali on alert as adolescents and youth clash again in the streets: where did the new fight recorded on video occur?
🇨🇴 Colombia /Conflict & Security

Cali on alert as adolescents and youth clash again in the streets: where did the new fight recorded on video occur?

From El Tiempo · (1d ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Cali is experiencing a worrying resurgence of youth violence, with recent clashes involving young people using weapons in the Ciudad Córdoba and El Caney neighborhoods.
  • The city's ombudsman has strongly condemned the incidents, known locally as 'güireo' or 'chacaleo', which endanger the lives and safety of residents.
  • Authorities are calling for strengthened inter-institutional coordination to prevent and eradicate this escalating problem of public disorder and violence.

Cali, a city that has known its share of challenges, is once again grappling with a disturbing trend: the return of violent street confrontations among its youth. These clashes, referred to by locals as 'güireo' or 'chacaleo,' have escalated from mere altercations to dangerous encounters involving an array of weapons, including those that fire bullets. The recent incidents in Ciudad Córdoba and El Caney are not isolated events but rather a grim continuation of a pattern that deeply concerns the city's officials and residents alike.

Rechazamos de manera enfática el nuevo caso de 'güireo' y 'chacaleo' registrado hoy en la ciudad de Cali, específicamente en los sectores de Ciudad Córdoba y El Caney, hechos que continúan afectando la tranquilidad de las comunidades y poniendo en riesgo la vida y la integridad de los jóvenes y de la ciudadanía en general

— Gerardo MendozaCali's ombudsman condemning the recent violent clashes.

The Personería de Cali, represented by Ombudsman Gerardo Mendoza, has voiced strong condemnation, emphasizing the threat these acts pose to public tranquility and the safety of the city's inhabitants, particularly its young people. The repeated nature of these violent outbreaks underscores a persistent issue that requires more than just reactive measures. It demands a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of this youth violence.

Desde la Personería de Santiago de Cali advertimos con preocupación que este fenómeno de violencia juvenil y alteración del orden público se ha venido repitiendo, generando escenarios de confrontación que solo dejan como consecuencia más violencia, zozobra y vulneración de derechos

— Gerardo MendozaCali's ombudsman expressing concern over the recurring nature of youth violence.

While inter-institutional efforts are underway, the urgency of the situation necessitates a more robust and effective collaboration between all relevant authorities. The goal is clear: to implement concrete actions that can prevent, contain, and ultimately eradicate these destructive practices. Cali cannot afford to normalize violence; the dignity, security, and peaceful coexistence of its citizens are at stake. The international community may see these as mere statistics of urban unrest, but for us in Cali, it is a daily struggle to protect our future generations from succumbing to a cycle of violence that threatens to engulf our communities.

Es importante reiterar que, desde el Ministerio Público, hemos venido liderando una mesa técnica interinstitucional con el propósito de abordar esta problemática de manera integral. Sin embargo, hacemos un llamado urgente a fortalecer la articulación efectiva entre las entidades competentes, para avanzar en acciones concretas que permitan prevenir, contener y erradicar estos hechos

— Personería de CaliA statement from the ombudsman's office calling for improved inter-institutional coordination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Tiempo in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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