Cali, under military control after the most violent day of the epidemic in Colombia: 13 dead

BOGOTÁ.- By order of the president Ivan Duque militarize a quarter of the 32 departments of Colombia to try to contain the social epidemic, troops began patrolling Cali, the third largest city in the country, on Saturday after the most violent day last month in which 13 people died.

Only a few vehicles and people were seen on the streets of Cali, where they clashed on Friday demonstrators, police and civilians armed even with guns. Remnants of barricades and copious amounts of rubble reflect the chaos that engulfed this city of 2.2 million people, now under a nighttime curfew.

In different episodes, 13 people died, including a public prosecutor who had killed two demonstrators who were blocking a road with his weapon. In addition, the crowd pounced on a policeman – who was not on duty – and lynched him, according to the investigative body.

“In the south of the city, we had […] almost an urban war, in which many people not only lost their lives, but there were also a significant number of injured, ”Security Secretary Carlos Rojas told Caracol Radio. At least eight of the deaths were caused by a gun, police said.

In a month of massive demonstrations at least 59 people died, including the 13 killed the day before; the Ombudsman’s Office had reported 46 deaths on Friday. Meanwhile, there are more than 2,300 injured among protesters and men in uniform, according to the Defense Ministry. The NGO Human Rights Watch claims to have received “Credible reports” of 63 deaths28 of them directly linked to the protests.

By decree 575 issued at dawn, Duque ordered the “Military assistance” for eight departments: Valle del Cauca – where Cali-, Nariño, Cauca, Huila, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Caquetá and Risaralda are located. He also established that 13 towns will benefit from specific assistance from the armed forces: Cali, Buenaventura, Buga, Yumbo and Palmira (Valle del Cauca); Pasto and Ipiales (Nariño); Popayán (Cauca); Bucaramanga, Santander); Pereira (Risaralda); Madrid and Facatativá (Cundinamarca) and Neiva (Huila).

The decree orders the leaders of these regions to coordinate military participation for their territories and thus to be able “to overcome the events which give rise to a serious deterioration of security and coexistence.” It also authorizes the lifting of blockades and cuts, and leaves the possible issuance of curfews to local heads of government.

In a speech published on his social networks, the president explained that the measures will “triple the capacity in less than 24 hours throughout the department, ensuring assistance in hot spots” where there have been “acts of vandalism , violence and terrorism. Low intensity Urban “. He also explained that “all arrest warrants for these events” will be accelerated and insisted that he will seek “the protection of the corridors and the unblocking as a principle, as a measure of protection of the rights of all citizens”.

Duque, who has been in Cali since Friday, has ordered the deployment of troops under the military assistance figure which empowers the military to support the police in control tasks.

“I feel safer with the army than with the police […] because here he has always been more respected, ”said Modesto Tenorio, a 64-year-old trader.

Colombia is going through an unprecedented popular uprising that began in reaction to a proposal by Duque to raise taxes for the impoverished middle class, to fill the budget deficit left by the coronavirus pandemic. The president bowed to the pressure of the protests and put the initiative aside, but police violence escalated social unrest. The excesses of the police, which in Colombia depend on the defense ministry, have been condemned by the international community.

Duque, who has been trying for two weeks to negotiate an end to the crisis with the most visible front of the demonstrations, hardened his position by sending troops to the cities.

Luis Felipe Vega, professor of political science at Javeriana University, questioned the measure. It’s like “putting out a fire with gasoline,” since a soldier is trained to “neutralize a threat”, not to control protests, he said.

AFP and DPA agencies

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