On January 17th, 2019, the National Liberation Army (or ELN) carried out the largest attack to hit the nation's capital, Bogota, in 16 years—a car bomb that killed 21 people at a police academy. The attack represented a major escalation by ELN, which has been attacking Colombian oil and energy infrastructure with increasing frequency since 2015—compounding concerns over declining oil prices and contributing to a GDP growth rate that ranks in just the 30th percentile globally.
This periodical examines how powerful geospatial modeling and raster analysis capabilities provided by Radiant Solutions can offer a unique look at the current and historical status of violent extremist groups and the populations they look to exploit— providing governments and NGOs with an increased ability to adjust their tactics in response.
To continue reading how Radiant Solutions is implementing geospatial modeling techniques like map algebra to identify several municipalities and subregions that are highly vulnerable and strategically important to Colombia's violent actors, please subscribe to our exclusive monthly periodical, the Radiant Spotlight here.
Sneak Peek: (excerpt from Maxar Spotlight)
Vulnerability Layer: Transportation
According to the World Economic Forum, the quality of Colombia's road infrastructure ranks in just the 20th percentile globally. Additionally, just 3 percent of the country's rural population is located within one hour of a market. This isolation increases production costs and significantly impedes small-scale commerce and crop substitution efforts designed to eradicate coca production.
A key component of the government’s strategy to build on the successful peace process with the FARC is to improve this infrastructure, which would also increase economic growth as well as improve the development and social inclusion of Colombia's rural regions.
