The armed strike by the Úsuga clan, also known as the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, kept many zones in the north of Colombia in suspense and created questions about the peace process developing in the country. Photograph from the Flickr account of the ‘Policía nacional de los colombianos’, published under the Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0) Beginning on the evening of Wednesday, 30 March, different areas in the north of Colombia saw their streets gradually empty of people, while transportation and businesses cut their working hours short. All of this was due to the self-proclaimed Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (also known as the Úsuga Clan), which ordered a strike starting at midnight on 31 March and lasting until midnight on 1 April. The reasons for the forced strike (also called an “armed strike”) were not very clear. Commemoration for the death of one of their leaders, as claimed in their pamphlets? Revenge for the military offensive against them? To force peace talks with the government by intensifying armed actions like the guerrillas did in the past? Support for the anti-government protest planned for the next day throughout the country by the right-wing Democratic Center political party, lead by ex-President Álvaro Uribe? What is certain is that the strike generated fear within the population. Historically, strikes imposed by militias in Colombia have meant illegal roadblocks, armed confrontations and retaliation against businesses and transportation services that disobey the order to suspend all activities. Since its formation around 2007, the Úsuga Clan has tried to bill itself as a self-defense force against other guerrillas operating in the area. But the Clan is well known for being involved in the drug trade, moving tons of cocaine with nearly 2,000 armed men at its disposal; it is widely considered the most dangerous criminal organization in the country. Many suspect the group wants to be recognized as a self-defense force to benefit from the eased penalties that such militias enjoy under Colombian law. Fighting between leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitary groups and agents of the state has plagued Colombia with deadly violence over the last 50 years, and that special legal treatment is meant to promote the demobilization of the insurgency. Although the Clan is not considered a player in the conflict, it seems as if the group could move to the top of the pecking order of armed factions if a peace agreement is achieved between insurgent forces FARC and ELN and the Colombian government. As a result of the Clan's strike threats, 39 municipalities in eight departments in the north of the country were paralyzed. Social media carried the largest quantity of information about the strike, with reports coming from both residents and the Clan itself. Photograph of the comuniqué distributed to the population in the north of Colombia. In the comuniqué, the group maintains that the strike is peaceful, that it is a protest in an armed conflict in which they never chose to participate and they invite the public [who have been] “harmed by the economic crisis” to join in. Image shared on social networks. #ParoArmado Hasta San Pelayo llega el eco de panfletos atemorizantes, así luce el centro de la capital del porro pic.twitter.com/IfcZW6hKBb — El Cordobés (@elcordobes2016) 31 de marzo de 2016 #ArmedStrike Even in San Pelayo echos of the frightening pamphlets have arrived and this is what the capital of the “porro” [a traditional music genre] looks like. Terminales de transporte intermunicipal no despachan, comercio no abrió, sur de Córdoba está paralizado. #ParoArmado pic.twitter.com/yq6ilz1qvJ — Juan M. Sotomayor (@jumasogi91) 31 de marzo de 2016 Inter-municipal transportation stations aren't in service, businesses didn't open, south of Córdoba is paralyzed. #ArmedStrike The strike saw at least 27 violent incidents, including the murder of four civilians and one member of security forces. Different acts of intimidation were also reported, including messages sent on social media which sought to extend the strike to at least three capital cities and ten more municipalities. The reaction of the government was limited to patrolling some critical places and to urge the public to disobey the strike. Isolated and without the ability to leave their homes, social media became the method that many citizens used to take stock of the situation. This was the case with Global Voices contributor and co-author of this post, Cati Restrepo. She detailed her experience of the armed strike on Facebook, expressing concern for the rural population who are the first to feel the consequences of armed movements: Estoy viviendo de primera mano un paro armado.