Parts of Colombia in 'security crisis': Conservatives

Colombia's Conservative Party on Tuesday admitted that parts of the country are suffering what a leading newspaper has called a security crisis, caused by an increase in FARC attacks and the growing strength of right-wing neo-paramilitary and drug gangs. In an interview with daily El Espectador, Conservative Party president Efrain Cepeda said that "One has to accept that we are having some problems with security in some parts of the country where, without a doubt, we have to act vehemently." "There has been an escalation of terrorism and we know it is hard to act," the Conservative added, while stressing that his party maintained its confidence in the security policy of the government of President Juan Manuel Santos. The Conservative Party is "optimistic that this will be an episode in which the armed forces retake control over the security in Colombia. (...) The Conservative Party asks for a reaction of the security forces," the politician was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Over the past few months, Colombia has seen a number of high-profile guerrilla attacks on towns, oil infrastructure and a radar station, while right-wing neo-paramilitary group "Los Urabeños" shut down all public transport and businesses in an area the size of Switzerland in response to the killing of one of their leaders.