| Colombia: Peaceful Protesters Attacked by Riot Police |
| Written by <a href="index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=33791"><span class="small">teleSUR</span></a> |
| Saturday, 27 May 2017 08:33 |
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Excerpt: "Colombia's National Anti-Riot Police Squad, ESMAD, attacked protesters in the port city of Buenaventura in the early hours of Friday."
Colombia: Peaceful Protesters Attacked by Riot Police27 May 17
"Our slogan is for the dignity, for the vindication of our rights as Afro-descendants," said Marielena Cortez.
The attack comes amidst the ongoing 10-day civil strike in Buenaventura. Among the wounded were three young children. They received assistance in the sole hospital in the city. Residents asserted that ESMAD not only resorted to using tear gas bombs but also used live firearm rounds shot in the air to disperse demonstrators. Nevertheless, the demands of the demonstrators continued. The people of Buenaventura, mostly inhabited by Indigenous peoples and people of African descent, insist that the government of President Juan Manuel Santos designate their region as being in a state of economic, social and ecological emergency due to their state abandonment. Marielena Cortez, a Buenaventura resident, stated that demonstrators were provoked by ESMAD. Still, she insisted, the protests will continue until the government meets their demands. "Our slogan is for the dignity, for the vindication of our rights as Afro-descendants," she said.
Public security forces attack residents of Buenaventura on the alternate roadway. Three babies were among the six people injured. An estimated 75 percent of all Colombian imports and exports pass through Buenaventura. Despite generating massive profits for big business and a significant chunk of the country's tax revenue, the population lives in abject poverty. Unemployment has reached a shocking 68 percent and access to basic services is almost non-existent. On May 17, Santos ordered a land, sea and air siege of the city. The operation involved thousands of police, military and navy units. Despite security forces imposing a curfew on the city, the residents of Buenaventura have vowed to carry on with their demonstrations. |
olombia's National Anti-Riot Police Squad, ESMAD, attacked protesters in the port city of Buenaventura in the early hours of Friday.