BOGOTA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Ivan Duque on Saturday condemned the recent violence that occurred in the country, with five young people killed on Aug. 11.
"They are not alone. We are here as a government, we are here to reject violence, and we have told you that we will be delivering results quickly to clarify these facts and for justice to be done," the president in a speech in the city of Cali.
Violence in the country has escalated in recent weeks, and the government is placing the blame on armed groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), a guerrilla group with strong ties to drug trafficking whose members originally belonged to the now disarmed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
"We need to confront organized crime with greater forcefulness, and in that there can be no doubts ... For many years we have said that being tolerant of violence generates new violence. The call is for all of us as a society to understand that defeating violence is our moral duty," he said.
The president pointed out that at this time, society must unite and strengthen itself against the violence that is strongly affecting the country's youth, as they are the main perpetrators as well as the main victims.
On Aug. 17, the United Nations, together with the Verification Mission in Colombia which monitors the implementation of the 2016 peace accords, expressed concern over the alarming increase in violence in the country.
