How will Medellín and the Government, with the backing of the United States, combat the criminal structures, drug trafficking, and mining that fuel the war?

NewsMayor Federico Gutiérrez. Photo: Medellín Mayor's OfficeJOURNALIST24.10.2026 16:14 Updated: 24.10.2026 16:29 The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, met on October 24 with the Minister of Defense, General Jorge Eduardo Mora López, and the United States Under Secretary of War for Security Affairs in the Americas, Joseph Humire, in order to strengthen cooperation on urban and transnational security policy. The Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez. Photo: Medellín Mayor's Office. SEE ALSO At the meeting, he presented progress on the Center for Control, Computing, Communications and Citizen Contact (C5i), a high-security technological complex strategically located in the central Corazón de Jesús neighborhood, across from the Metropolitan Police command and next to the Libertadores fire station. It is a large-scale project (more than 18,000 square meters and nine stories high) into which more than 205 billion pesos are being invested. SEE ALSO Mayor Federico Gutiérrez. Photo: Medellín Mayor's OfficeThe official projection of Mayor Gutiérrez and the district administration is to finish the civil works and install all the technological infrastructure in order to deliver the complex and put it into official operation in June 2027. SEE ALSO The central objective of this visit was to inspect the physical space where military intelligence and control against global criminal networks will operate, in the headquarters announced by the Medellín Mayor's Office as the most complete security building in Colombia. It carries the connotation of being the 'Pentagon of Medellín.' The Mayor of Medellín and the president. Photo: Archive. During the tour, the mayor of the people of Medellín emphasized the mission objectives of this international cooperation. "The security of Medellín and the fight against organized crime require international cooperation and coordinated work," said the mayor. SEE ALSO "The stars are aligning to wage the fight against all the criminal structures that affect not only Colombia and Medellín, but the entire hemisphere. The organizations dedicated to drug trafficking and illegal gold exploitation that fuel the war must be combated from the cities," he noted. Mayor Federico Gutiérrez. Photo: Medellín Mayor's OfficeThe local leader took advantage of the international setting to contrast the current situation with the darkest era of the capital of Antioquia, highlighting that the local strategy has made it possible to reach record figures in the preservation of life. SEE ALSO "Medellín has demonstrated a tireless fight against criminal structures. We have the lowest rates in 40 years. September closed with five homicides (compared to 24 in the same period of 2025), making it the least violent month, and as of today, October 24, we have had six homicides. In 1991, the city recorded up to 200 homicides a month," Gutiérrez stated. The day had the direct support of Colombia's Defense Ministry and the American security establishment, uniting political efforts and military intelligence to shield the territory from asymmetric threats. SEE ALSO "We met with the Minister of Defense, General Jorge Eduardo Mora López, and the United States Under Secretary of War for Security Affairs in the Americas, Joseph Humire, to strengthen cooperation on security and defense," he said. Mora also highlighted that the country's entry into the 'Shield of the Americas' program, under the National Government, seeks to provide a coordinated response to threats affecting security, using advanced infrastructure. SEE ALSO According to the alliance, Colombia authorizes and integrates intelligence capabilities, financial tracking and coordinated operations to "destroy the terrorist and drug trafficking networks that operate on a global scale," justifying that no State can defeat these structures alone. The C5i and regional infrastructureThe megastructure of the Center for Control, Computing, Communications and Citizen Contact of the city will officially become the regional nerve center of the multinational Shield of the Americas plan. This bunker will unify data collection, preventive monitoring and the dismantling of criminal routes in the hemisphere. SEE ALSO "In addition, we visited the C5i, where the office of the Shield of the Americas will be located," added Mayor Gutiérrez. The close of the meeting served to ratify a firm, "iron-fist" stance against armed structures, emphasizing that the State will not cede ground to economic and social crime. "With security, there is no improvising. Let the criminals be dealt with harshly. We will continue confronting them with all the capacity of the State," affirmed the mayor. CAROLINA BOHÓRQUEZEL TIEMPO CorrespondentSee more newsWhat is behind the protests in Europe? 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