COP16, that is, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, will be held at the end of October in the hot, tropical city of Cali, Colombia. The event, in which world leaders from 150 different countries get together to promote sustainable development, will have a greater impact on the city of Cali than on the rest of the planet. Around 12,000 distinguished guests from all over the world will descend on the city for a week, shuttling back and forth between conferences, restaurants, hotels, and tourist sites. The net economic effect of this deluge, according to some estimates, will be to inject around $25 million into the local economy. COP16 will also be a great way for the city to promote tourism by highlighting its biodiversity and green economy to help shake its reputation for violence and cocaine trafficking.

Cali’s local government, industry, and cultural sphere will all try their hardest to make a positive impression upon the visitors and the international media. To make sure all goes smoothly during the ten days of activities, Alejandro Eder, Cali’s mayor, who was recently elected on a platform of law and order, has promised a “three-ring defense” plan that will coordinate police, military, and UN blue helmets stationed in and around strategic parts of the city. The ground forces will be supported by three military helicopters brought into the city for the event. A recent overhaul of the city’s 1,500 surveillance cameras will also help beef up security from above.

This hyper-militarization of the city due to threats of terrorist attacks could ruin the party. Adding extra soldiers and cops to protect the world leaders attending COP16 is something any city hosting such an important international event would do. But in Cali, these moves have come at a particularly sensitive time. In 2021, during the National Strike protests, the then right-wing government of President Iván Duque militarized the city and unleashed lethal force against people peacefully protesting an unpopular tax hike, widespread police violence, and human rights abuses. As a result, more violence and human rights violations ensued, which then turned the tide of social unrest and led to the election of left-wing president Gustavo Petro in 2022.