Large numbers of people violated an order to stay home in Colombia to attend the funeral of a well-known criminal arrested in December on extortion charges, who died of a heart attack on Sunday while being transferred to another jail.
In videos published on social networks on Tuesday, more than 200 people could be seen walking down a street in Bello, a suburb of Medellín, with the coffin of criminal leader Edgar Pérez while men on motorcycles honked their horns.
Some members of the funeral procession carried red and white balloons and a poster with the name of Pérez, while a pair of police officers watched helplessly the scene, overwhelmed by the crowd.
“This shows that, in some parts of the country, illegal groups still have very strong patronage and patronage relationships,” said Sergio Guzmán, a Colombian risk analyst. Gang leaders “provide jobs in these communities and also deliver justice,” he added.
The event also highlights how Colombia is struggling to enforce the national confinement order for a month to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
In the affluent neighborhoods of cities like Bogotá and Medellín, residents can still be seen running, ignoring an order to stay home that began on March 24. Meanwhile, in working-class neighborhoods, street vendors who can’t afford not to work are also practicing.
And as the Easter holiday approaches, the mayors of tourist towns near the Colombian capital have complained that the wealthy residents of Bogotá are trying to sneak into their villages through small rural roads, so that they can pass a time in their country houses.
In Bello, which is a half-hour drive from Medellín, police said they fined 15 people who participated in Pérez’s funeral procession. Authorities said they were unable to take more vigorous action to dispel the courtship because there were many children and the elderly in the group.
Colombia is urging its citizens to stay home and imposing fines of $ 300 on those who leave their homes without good reason. Residents of the country of 50 million people are only allowed to leave if they go to buy food or medicine, or if they have to go to jobs considered essential during the shutdown.
Commercial flights have been suspended, as well as public transport between cities in Colombia, which so far has reported 2,054 confirmed cases of COVID-29, with 54 deaths.
In most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that disappear within two to three weeks. But in some, especially older adults and people with pre-existing conditions, it can cause more serious conditions, including pneumonia, or even death.
“On paper, Colombia has strong measures,” said Guzmán. “But compliance has been difficult in the upper classes and also in the popular sectors.”
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