Rising crime rates spark calls for increased police presence in Colombia and Paraguay

Residents in several South American neighborhoods are reporting significant increases in criminal activity and expressing frustration over inadequate police responses.

In the Bachué neighborhood of Pasto, Colombia, citizens are calling for urgent measures to combat rising nighttime robberies. Community leader Martín Gonzales noted that criminals are exploiting poor street lighting and a lack of police patrols to target residents returning from work and homes in less transit areas. Locals have proposed installing security cameras and increasing nighttime patrols to restore order.

In Paraguay, residents of Lambaré and Asunción are facing a wave of robberies attributed to a single organized gang. The group reportedly uses intelligence to track victim routines, employs signal inhibitors to bypass electric gates, and operates using at least four vehicles. Victims have expressed deep concern over the perceived lack of preventive presence from the National Police, with some residents even questioning if there is any official link to the impunity of the group.