Buenaventura is Colombia's main port on the Pacific coast and local authorities and investors are eager to transform it into a touristic destination, but the town has fallen prey to brutal drug-related gang violence over recent years.

Armed gangs use torture, blackmail and extortion to control the disadvantaged  Pacific coastline communities in the region, as they are ideal locations for smuggling cocaine out of the country.
But the neighbourhood of Puente Nayero has decided to fight back against the criminals and declare itself a "humanitarian space". This civil resistance is bearing fruit and has inspired similar initiatives around the country.
Programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Elom Marcel Toble

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