extortion

Violence threatens Colombia's top tourist destination

Armed groups in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park are extorting local businesses and terrorizing indigenous communities, threatening the country's tourism boom. The 2016 peace deal helped bring tourists back, but groups like the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces continue to control the area through extortion and illegal activities. More than 873,000 visitors came last year, but recent violence and threats have prompted park closures and raised fears for the future.