In Bogotá, 22 human rights verification commissions to be set up for May 5 protests

Considering the fact that in the last seven days of protests in Colombia there have been hundreds of cases of abuse of power, in Bogotá he was determined to create groups that help prevent this from happening. continues. As reported by the capital’s mayor’s office, headed by Claudia López, 22 human rights verification commissions will be created in the city that will operate from different parts of the city during the marches called this May 5.

“In view of the events of the past few days, we have set up 22 human rights verification commissions, several of which are already distributed and operating in the most critical points of the protests. We will continue to protect the right to protest of young people! “, López said at a press conference held Tuesday evening May 4.

According to the president, these groups, in addition to being made up of officials from the mayor’s office, will also include delegates from human rights organizations, human rights officials, dialogue experts and police officers.

The points where they will work will be on 140th Street with Seventh Street, Cali with Esperanza Avenue, Monument to Los Héroes, Plaza de Bolívar, Portal 80, Portal Américas, Portal Suba, Puente de la Dignidad, Sevillana, El Tintal, University Distrital, Calle 19 # 3A-37 and Country Sur.

Below is a list of the exact addresses where the 22 Human Rights Verification Commissions will be with each point’s officials and their phone numbers for protesters to write up their reports. The president assured that the committees would work 24 hours a day.

According to the information provided, these places are classified as follows: 13 fixed points in the key places of the confrontations, one point in the judicial complex of Paloquemao, three in the immediate reaction units (URI), three in the centers of transfer of protection (CRP) and two mobile points that will tour the city.

This provision is in addition to that pronounced by the mayor herself on May 3, after meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Tremors, the Defender of Freedom Campaign and the Lazos de Dignidad Foundation. On this occasion, López publicly asked the commander of the Metropolitan Police of Bogotá to suspend the use of rubber bullets by the mobile riot squad (Esmad).

IN CONTEXT: Human rights roundtable meeting convened in Bogotá to investigate and end possible cases of police violence

According to General Jorge Eliecer Camacho, commander of the Bogotá police, uniformed men operating in the city have already been ordered to comply with this provision. Human rights organizations stress that it is important to eliminate the use of this element because, although it is classified as a non-lethal weapon, it has caused many people to lose their sight, mainly children. youth. Indeed, according to the NGO Temblores, between 6 a.m. on April 28 and 8 a.m. on May 4, 2021, there were 21 such cases in the country.

Among the other guarantees given by the mayor’s office and the police is that each of the men in uniform is fully identified. General Camacho assured that all members of the institution will “Wear your code visibly on your uniform to ensure the institution runs smoothly within the mobilization.

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