August 2022

After almost 36 hours closed, the road that leads from La Pintada (Southwest Antioquia) to the Coffee Region was reopened on Monday night, following an agreement was reached with the community that maintained a citizen protest at kilometer 0+ 720, El Planchon sector, considering that the municipality was isolated from the Pacific 2 and 3 fourth generation projects.

Major Jairo Pinilla, attached to the Traffic and Transportation Section of the Antioquia Police Department, stated that following the agreement between the protesters, the road concessions and the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), the road was opened in both senses.

With crossed sticks and a tent, the protesters had stopped traffic since this Sunday, August 28, and they signed a document with 11 petitions to the ANI and, in general, to the National Government. Among them they demanded the strengthening of the local economy, heavily hit by the construction of new roads, which do not pass through the town.

Also, They requested that a metal barrier be removed near the Cartama River that today prevents the passage of vehicles. In fact, one of the main requests was that a barbed wire fence that was installed near the river be removed. The demonstrators pointed out that the construction of the highways denied them entry to the river, which they consider “tourist heritage.”

Subsequently, this situation led to the installation of a work table to reach an agreement with the protesters. During the dialogues, temporary passage was allowed on the road.

According to figures from the Association of Freight Transporters (ATC), at least 2,000 cargo vehicles with 192,000 tons of merchandise were trapped in the blockade on Monday, which affected the supply chain between the south-west and the north of the country.