Colombia: 21 People Killed and 503 Arrested Amid Protests |
Written by <a href="index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=33791"><span class="small">teleSUR</span></a> |
Tuesday, 04 May 2021 12:37 |
Excerpt: "Colombia's Defending Liberty on Sunday informed that 21 homicides and 503 arbitrary detentions have been committed in the country during the protests unleashed against President Ivan Duque."
Colombia: 21 People Killed and 503 Arrested Amid Protests04 May 21
According to this NGO, ten women were raped by police officers, 42 human rights defenders were assaulted, 208 people were injured, and 18 protesters suffered eye injuries this weekend. The Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ) reported that 10 citizens were killed in Cali City. The first victim of State terrorism was 16-year-old Marcelo Agredo, who died after being shot twice by a police officer. Thousands of people have also taken to the streets in the cities of Barranquilla, Medellin, and Bogota to reject the tax reform presented by the government.
Although Duque announced the withdrawal of the bill, which proposed an increase in the price of basic goods, Colombians remain in the streets protesting against violence, insecurity, and systematic massacres. Due to police brutality, Indigenous peoples are mobilizing from the Cauca Department to Bogota to demand Duque's resignation. Since the beginning of the national strike on April 28, the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) has been repressing the protests, most of them peaceful. |