I get the impression that the war declared by the national government on the drug trade is seen by people as something that does not concern them and does not interest them. It’s a mistake, because it affects us all. I think we have to ask ourselves, as President Kennedy wanted, “What should I do for Ecuador?” If we wait for others to complete the task, we can go to the extreme of what is happening in the city of Tuluá in northern Colombia. A report by El País from a few days ago says that the state has disappeared there. The commissioner, the judges, the political leader, the police, the authorities fled. Drug gangs rule and there is no law but violence and death.

‘Companies are closing because of vaccines and insecurity’: in Durán we live with shocks and fear from day to day

Kennedy’s question has an answer in the ancestral customs of the Sierra people: the Minga. Men and women decide to do work that is of interest to the community: a road, a bridge, a school. Working together is fun. They organize a great table for a common meal and continue with the work or finish it. The individualistic character of the Montuvi does not have that expression, but it is clear that they can unite when it comes to, for example, the fight against cattle rustlers. Joint effort is in our genes.

This columnist may be mistaken, but I find no other remedy than the joint effort of people from neighborhoods in cities, in rural parishes. We must unite against the most cruel way of robbing the people, which is extortion, ‘vaccines’. People should not be intimidated by the sight of vaccines. They must be arrested and handed over to the police. This requires neighborhood leaders who are respected by citizens and who take on the role of security organizers. Today for you, tomorrow for me. The press reported on the closure of neighborhoods, on groups threatening thieves to set them on fire. Warning notices are visible. If it multiplies in cities and towns, we unite for our safety. It’s not about taking justice into your own hands, because that can be the worst injustice. We have to turn to the legitimate body, the national police, to cooperate. It is also very important to have judges not to release extortionists when the people arrest them. This legal procedure is not abused.

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These simple ideas try to start a dialogue so that we can at least discuss the possibilities and agree on what we should do. The national government has done a good job of strengthening the means of combat: weapons and even armored vehicles that we did not imagine for urban warfare. For a long time, the police have had drones and technology; must have more. But public support is needed. The government has an obligation to convince the citizens and regain the initiative with the best possible collaborator: us, the citizens of the city who demand security. And again stubbornly: “How much am I doing for my safety and mine?” If you don’t get involved, you don’t have the right to ask.

Enter the field as a reinforcement player so that evil does not win the game of safety! (OR)