Colombia Police reinstates ESMAD and creates National Anti-Riot Unit

The Colombian National Police has officially restructured its public order response by dissolving the Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit (UNDMO) and establishing the National Anti-Riot Unit (UNADI). Through Resolution 03226, signed by General Jesús Alejandro Barrera Peña, the institution has also reinstated the Mobile Anti-Riot Squads (ESMAD), a designation that had been replaced in 2022 during the administration of Gustavo Petro.

The new UNADI structure will include a sub-command, an operational monitoring group, eight regional anti-riot units, and 30 mobile squads. The unit is tasked with intervening in riots, disturbances, and violent behaviors that threaten public safety and coexistence. A 90-day transition period has been established to complete the necessary administrative procedures for full implementation.

The reorganization has coincided with tensions regarding cultural policy. In Bogotá, anti-riot units were deployed near the National Museum ahead of a planned protest against the removal of various historical and social pieces from the museum's collections. Critics and opposition members have characterized the removal of these works as censorship, while government officials have defended the decision as a measure to prevent the museum from being used for indoctrination.