Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron

History

The Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios (ESMAD) was born as a decentralized unit from the Colombian National Police on February 24, 1999, by a transitional directorate, beginning with 9 officers, 8 non-commissioned officers and 200 patrollers mainly to support Colombian Departments and Metropolitan police forces to control and/or neutralize population disturbances or public events when their forces seem outnumbered or incapable to handle their action capacity. It was later legalized by resolution 01363 of April 14, 1999.

The unit is said to be trained on human rights issues however in 2006, it was largely criticized and questioned for some of its actions during the National University of Colombia riots. This riot police unit was also questioned by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights after the death of six protesters. Nonetheless, the Colombian government continues to invest money in this unit. Senator Wilson Arias denounced the investment of around 8,000 million pesos. In the midst of the COVID-19 health emergency, the Colombian government prefers to invest in a force that has injured more than 800 people and from which 43 victims have been confirmed before 2021.

Regional Operational Divisions

There are seven active mobile squadrons operating in Colombia:

• Bogotá: Mobile Group I, Mobile Group II, Mobile Group III
• Medellín: Mobile Group IV
• Cali: Mobile Group V
• Barranquilla: Mobile Group VI
• Bucaramanga: Mobile Group VII

References

References

1. (August 7, 2004). "Dirección Operativa".
2. (May 7, 2020). "MILES DE MILLONES AL ESMAD ¿ASÍ DETENDRÁN LAS MOVILIZACIONES?".
3. "Las 43 muertes que involucran al ESMAD antes del #21N".