President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced a plan to create urban security blocks to prevent crime in Colombia's major cities [1, 3].
The initiative seeks to dismantle illegal economies and reduce violence without militarizing urban environments. This strategy arrives as the country prepares for a transition in leadership, with de la Espriella scheduled to assume the presidency in one month [1].
These operational units will integrate public force, the justice system, and local communities [1, 3]. The program will initially be implemented in four cities: Bogotá, Cali, Barranquilla, and Medellín [4]. A formal decree for the initiative is scheduled to be signed on Aug. 7, 2026 [4].
During a summit of mayors, local leaders expressed support for the model. Julián Sánchez Perico, the mayor of Soacha, said, "No se trata de militarizar las ciudades" [3]. The approach focuses on creating a collaborative network to target criminal infrastructure rather than relying solely on military presence.
In Bogotá, officials have emphasized the need to target the financial roots of crime. César Restrepo, the secretary of security for Bogotá, said the blocks of defense are a key tool to combat illegal economies [2]. This follows a period where Bogotá saw a decrease of 50 homicides over the last two years [2].
The mayor of Bogotá further emphasized the intent to shift the balance of power between the state and criminal organizations, saying that the only ones who should feel fear are the criminals [2].
While the president-elect intends for this to be a national strategy across all cities [1], some reports indicate that certain municipalities, such as Cali, are still in the process of designing their specific models for adoption [5].
“"No se trata de militarizar las ciudades."”
The proposed security blocks represent a shift toward a multi-agency approach to urban policing in Colombia. By integrating judicial and community elements with law enforcement, the administration aims to address the systemic drivers of crime—specifically illegal economies—rather than treating urban violence as a purely military problem. The success of the rollout in the four primary cities will likely determine if the model is scaled nationally.
