2024-03-01 11:58:18
President Gustavo Petro, during the 43rd version of Anato’s Showcase, highlighted the progress in reducing crime during the first two months of the year compared to the same period of the previous year.
In a speech, the head of state shared data on the decrease in crime rateshighlighting that the downward trend is essential to promote the ‘Colombia, the country of beauty’ campaign and attract more tourists to the country.
«It is essential that violent armed conflict and insecurity decrease if we want to achieve our goal of receiving 10 million tourists.«, expressed Petro. He highlighted that violence in certain regions of the country is an obstacle to showing the tourism potential and biodiversity wealth of Colombia.
The president made special mention of the Pacific Coast, a region with incomparable biodiversity, but affected by illegal activities.. “It is an area with enormous potential, but unfortunately it is linked to the illicit economy,” said Petro.
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He emphasized the need to preserve and protect these areas, highlighting that biodiversity-based tourism is a crucial economic opportunity for the country.
Regarding specific data on crime reduction, the president highlighted a 2.5% decrease in homicidesas well as a reduction of 44% in simple kidnappings and 60.5% in kidnappings for extortion. He also mentioned a 17% reduction in personal theft and 28% reduction in residential theft.
However, the president acknowledged that there are still challenges ahead and stressed the importance of maintaining the downward trend in crime rates. “We must continue with what we are doing right, intensify our efforts and correct what we are doing wrong,” he emphasized.
Finally, Petro gave a warning about corruption within the State and its impact on the fight against crime. «It is regrettable that there is collusion between the public powers of the State and crime, which hinders our efforts to improve efficiency«, concluded the president.
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