Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella Announces Immediate Deportations and New Security Strategy

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered the immediate deportation of irregular immigrants, with coordinated operations between the Police and Migración Colombia beginning this week in Barranquilla. The president stated that priority will be given to foreigners committing crimes, followed by those without regularized migration status. De la Espriella described the move as a political decision and emphasized a priority for Colombian citizens.

Beyond immigration, the president announced a broader security strategy that classifies all illegal armed groups as terrorists. This plan includes the creation of a National Search Block against Extortion involving the Army, Police, Navy, and Air Force. Additional measures include the reactivation of the reward system, urgent prison transfers to stop extortion, and the reactivation of the Financial Information and Analysis Unit to access four years of banking data.

De la Espriella presented these measures as a disruptive break from the strategies used during the government of Gustavo Petro. In a report on his first three weeks in office, the administration claimed 1,574 arrests, 10 extraditions, and the seizure of over 23,000 kilos of narcotics. Recent operations also included the capture of members of the Segunda Marquetalia and the Clan del Golfo, as well as the destruction of a coca processing laboratory in Meta.