Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella stated during a speech to mayors that the state has an irrevocable obligation to recover every space that crime attempts to take from the people. ^[1] The city of Bogotá secured a direct credit line of US$150 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). ^[2] The 2026 Mayors' Meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank's (BID) Cities Network is taking place in Barranquilla for the second consecutive day. ^[3] Abelardo De la Espriella promised to return security to the country by reason or force, citing his decision, ardor, character, and authority to do so. ^[4] President De la Espriella asserted that effective security requires good police, intelligence, technology similar to that used in Bogotá, coordination between authorities, rapid reaction capacity, and a justice system capable of exemplary punishment. ^[5] The President declared that security is not an accessory matter of public administration but an indispensable condition for freedom. ^[6] The funds are designated to improve local neighborhoods and transform waste management systems. ^[7] This agreement strengthens Bogotá's relationship with the multilateral banking institution. ^[8] More than 50 mayors and authorities from Latin America and the Caribbean are participating in the event. ^[9] Participants are discussing urban transformation, resilience, and sustainable development to strengthen cooperation between local governments. ^[10] The goal is to connect the capacities of different cities to move from individual projects to strategies that generate concrete results in territories. ^[11] The project also includes initiatives to modernize information infrastructure within the city. ^[12]