Some late incidents have given Colombia’s Bogota residents and visitors the impression that insecurity is taking over everyday life in the city. After the case of Diana Ospina — the woman who left a nightclub in the capital and became a victim of the notorious “paseo millonario” (express extortion kidnapping) after hailing a taxi on the street — the issue once again moved to the center of public debate. The incident did not shock the city solely because of its ruthlessness, but because of how familiar it felt.
It was not merely an isolated crime. It exposed a shared fear many residents already carried but rarely verbalized: That ordinary routines have quietly become moments of vulnerability.
Today, the concern is no longer confined to late nights or certain neighborhoods. Fear has expanded into everyday decisions, requesting transportation, withdrawing cash, waiting for a bus, or walking a few blocks home. The perception does not always align with statistical probability, yet its consequences are real. People avoid going out after certain hours, families coordinate shared rides, and young adults pay more for ride-hailing apps simply to reduce uncertainty.
Bogota is facing a complex security situation in which robberies, extortion, kidnappings, disappearances, and armed assaults have become part of daily conversation. The most troubling element is not only the existence of crime, but the growing normalization of it, the feeling that this is simply how urban life works now. That resignation may be one of insecurity’s strongest effects. When fear becomes routine, collective trust erodes.
There is also an institutional dimension. Many crimes go unreported, either because administrative procedures feel burdensome or because victims believe the process will not produce real consequences. For citizens, the common phrase “being a criminal pays off” expresses more than frustration; it reflects the perception of a justice system that fails to deter repeat offenders.
Numbers that reflect more than crime; they reflect trust
According to public figures from Bogota’s City Council based on official 2025 reports, 39 cases of extortion kidnapping were recorded in the city. Six involved cars and 20 involved motorcycles. The case of Diana Ospina, classified under this category after the legal redefinition of the “paseo millonario” as extortion kidnapping, made visible a crime that many victims previously reported simply as aggravated robbery.
Security Secretary Cesar Restrepo explained that part of the statistical increase comes from this legal reclassification. Under Colombian law, the offense now carries penalties of up to 42 years in prison. Yet the social meaning is complex: While punishment becomes harsher, the figures also reveal that the crime had long existed under a different name.
In 2025, authorities reported a 362.5% increase compared to 2024. At the same time, district administration data showed rising complaints of extortion, particularly digital extortion, threatening messages, impersonation schemes, and intimidation directed at small business owners. Theft from individuals remained among the most frequently reported crimes.
Security analyst Andres Nieto Ramirez, director of the Security Observatory at Universidad Central and former Bogota Secretary of Security and Coexistence, warned in an interview with RCN News that the city is experiencing a drastic rise in extortion kidnappings.
He explained that “what is real is that today the data should alert us because in Colombia there are structured criminal groups that can rent firearms starting at roughly US$4 for half an hour and supply all offenders with knives for less than 50 cents.”
The alarming aspect of his statement is not merely the price; it is the accessibility. If a weapon becomes as easy to obtain as a short-term tool rather than a long-term possession, the barrier to committing violent crime drops significantly. Criminals no longer need capital, networks, or prior criminal careers; they only need opportunity.
This suggests a transformation in urban crime dynamics. Violence stops being limited to organized gangs and becomes temporarily accessible to opportunistic offenders. The “economy of crime” shifts toward immediacy: Small groups or even first-time offenders can carry out robberies or kidnappings with rented means, then disappear back into ordinary life.
For citizens, numbers translate into lived experience: A relative robbed, a neighbor threatened, a coworker held for hours while criminals emptied their bank accounts. In human terms, statistics measure more than incidents; they measure trust. When streets stop feeling like shared spaces and begin to feel unpredictable, urban life loses one of its essential qualities: spontaneous coexistence.
Getting home safely: the transportation dilemma in Colombia
The Diana Ospina case revealed a particularly sensitive issue: the relationship between mobility and safety. The public conversation shifted beyond violence itself to the reliability of basic services. How can safe transportation truly be guaranteed?
Hugo Ospina, the taxi drivers’ union leader in Bogota, acknowledged an uncomfortable reality. Sometimes vehicles are legally registered, yet the person behind the wheel is a criminal.
The problem, therefore, goes beyond informality; it lies in effective oversight of who actually operates the service. Citizens face a troubling paradox. They can follow all recommended precautions — choose authorized transport, verify license plates — and still be vulnerable.
Reducing the crisis to administrative changes or resignations is insufficient. The solution requires a combination of social prevention, effective oversight, and efficient justice.
This includes strengthening programs that reduce recidivism and provide employment opportunities in vulnerable communities, improving technological tracking of drivers and vehicles to prevent identity fraud, and streamlining judicial processes so arrests do not quickly lead to release and reinforce perceptions of impunity.
Urban safety does not depend solely on more police officers, but on coordinated systems. Cities confronting similar problems have shown that the decisive factor is institutional integration: transportation, justice, social policy, and technology working together.
The debate following the Ospina case revealed something important: Citizens do not only demand punishment, they demand predictability. They want to know that daily routines such as working, studying, returning home, are not a daily gamble.
Rebuilding confidence in a city that wants its normalcy back
The Bogota insecurity has consequences less visible than crime reports. It affects everyday economics: Businesses close earlier, delivery workers refuse routes, and shops invest in surveillance instead of expansion. It also affects collective mental health through constant vigilance, anticipatory anxiety, and growing distrust among strangers.
Fear fragments the city. People shorten distances, limit social interaction, and avoid public spaces. Ironically, the reduction of street activity weakens the natural safety created by citizen presence.
The challenge, therefore, is not only reducing crime but restoring normalcy. A successful security policy is measured not only in arrests but in recovered habits: people walking unhurriedly, transportation used without suspicion, neighborhoods active after dark.
The Diana Ospina case became symbolic because it connected with shared experience. It is not only the story of one victim, but also the story of thousands questioning how safe they truly are in their own city. Bogota faces a decisive moment. Security is no longer a sector-specific issue; it has become part of daily life. The challenge for authorities will not only be lowering crime indicators but rebuilding confidence.
Ultimately, urban safety is not simply about preventing crime; it is about allowing life to unfold without fear. The city should not adapt to insecurity. It should once again adapt to peace of mind.