Desperate search for 87 people missing during the crackdown on protests in Colombia

In social protests against the tax reform already withdrawn from the Colombian government at least 89 people are missingAccording to complaints received by the Ombudsman’s Office, which said on Tuesday that so far only two of them have been found.

The police crackdown on the protests has drawn strong criticism around the world, especially from international organizations such as the UN and OAS. And even the deputy spokeswoman for the US State Department (a traditional ally of Iván Duque’s government), Jalina Porter, said during a press conference call that “in every country in the world have the right to protest peacefully “, although he rejected” vandalism “.

Porter also called on Colombian security authorities to show “the greatest containment” before the demonstrations, and said Washington “supports” the Colombian government in its quest to resolve the situation through “dialogue.”

“We are deeply alarmed due to the events in the city of Cali in Colombia last night when police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against tax reform, killing and injuring several people, according to information received, “Marta Hurtado said, spokesperson for the High Commissioner in statements made from Geneva and published in Bogotá.

The protests started last Wednesday and left at least 19 dead and around 800 injured, Consequently, Colombia is in the crosshairs of international organizations for recurrent violations of human rights and abuses of the police force.

“The Ombudsman’s Office has recorded complaints corresponding to alleged disappearances during the social demonstration called April 28 and transferred this information to the Commission for the Search of Missing Persons, “the entity reported.

Likewise, he shared the full list of the 87 people who, according to the complaints, are still missing.

At least 35 of them went missing in Cali, capital of the Valle del Cauca department, epicenter of the protests, and neighboring Palmira, a southwestern region where the highest number of deaths was also recorded during the protests.

There are also missing persons in Bogotá, Barranquilla and Medellín, as well as in the department of Quindío, located in the coffee zone in the center of the country.

The protests will continue on Wednesday, according to the convocation of the National Unemployment Committee, which announced that despite the fact that President Iván Duque announced that the tax bill would be withdrawn, it requires much more than withdrawal from tax reform. “

The day before, the Minister of Finance, Alberto Carrasquilla, promoter of the reform project, resigned from his post and in his place Juan Manuel Restrepo, who was Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, was appointed. President Duque informed a few days ago that he would send to the streets to military troops in their quest to contain the “vandals” and support the police.

Unclear figures

Although the Ombudsman’s office confirmed the deaths of 19 people during the protests – 18 civilians and one policeman – the defense ministry evaded the report on deaths linked to the repression of demonstrations.

Minister Diego Molano limited himself to reporting at press conferences on the people captured, the damage to public and private property and the attacks against the police., while holding illegal armed groups responsible to generate mobilizations, but without mentioning the loss of human life.

Molano said today that “there have been attacks on members of the public forces, police stations, vehicles, blockades and other acts of violence affecting municipalities across the country.”

He added that the public force “was attacked with a death toll of 579 police officers injured, 464 men in uniform have bruises, 93 were wounded with a sharp weapon, three with a firearm and 15 by explosive devices or incendiary actions, of which 25 are still hospitalized. “

However, in the country there is a general demand towards the minister for serious complaints that fall on the police who were even seen shooting protesters at close range.

Police face serious charges which include sexual assault, physical violence and arbitrary detention, and it was also marked by the death of many demonstrators, mostly young people.

The Defend Freedom is Everyone’s Business Campaign, which brings together several human rights organizations, denounced that 305 people were injured “for the disproportionate actions of the National Police and in particular of the Esmad (Mobile Riot Squad)”.

“We express our deep concern and our rejection of these arbitrary and disproportionate actions which go against international protocols, norms and standards on the actions of the public force in the face of social protest scenarios”, declared the group.

Source: EFE and Clarín