Colombia's president sends troops to a Caribbean city after an outburst of violence

SANTA MARTA, Colombia -- Troops patrolled the unusually empty streets of Colombia’s Caribbean resort city of Santa Marta on Wednesday as President Abelardo de la Espriella tried to restore order a day after an outburst of violence blamed on a drug-trafficking gang.Residents in a working-class neighborhood in the city’s northeast lined up outside the few supermarkets that remained open as police officers carrying rifles stood guard. “We woke up this morning afraid to go out and see what the situation was, but you have to go out to stock up on supplies,” taxi driver Antonio Ochoa said.On Tuesday, arsonists set ablaze at least three vehicles, including a taxi and a public bus, and armed men threatened merchants in broad daylight, plunging the city into fear. De la Espriella blamed the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces and ordered troops to the city in response.The president said the group planned to “set fire” to parts of the Caribbean region in retaliation for a military operation that killed José Pérez Villanueva, known as “Cholo” and identified by the government as the group’s second-in-command.“I swear by Colombia and by my life that I will finish them off,” de la Espriella warned...