Naaju Breaking News, Live Updates, Latest Headlines, Viral News, Top Stories, Trending Topics, Videos
[ad_1]
The President of Colombia, Iván Duque, called for dialogue on Tuesday amid escalating protests and violence in the country and hours of “national strike” by unions and social organizations.
The president called for the creation of a national dialogue table in order to find solutions to the dissatisfaction of the citizens expressed in the national strike which filled the country with protests the last seven days in rejection of the tax reform promoted by the government.
“We are going to set up a space to listen to citizens and build solutions. Ideological differences should not be publicized, but a deep patriotism. with all institutions, parties, the private sector, governors, mayors and civil society leaders, ”said Duque.
Conversations They will start this Wednesday.
Protesters denounce police brutality during protests in Colombia. AFP Photo
They will have the presence “of courts, control entities, the prosecution, presidents of the Senate and the House, as well as representatives of civil society, governors, mayors, associations, the private sector and those who are part of the action committees. Communal ”, declared the Colombian president.
The president assured that the objective of the dialogue space “is reject violence in all its forms, accelerate the national mass vaccination plan, ensure the resources to guarantee the continuity of social programs and the protection of the most vulnerable and, of course, economic recovery “.
What’s going on in Colombia?
Protests in the streets of Colombia began last week, after a official tax reform project which brought the VAT to 19%.
After the strong popular reaction, the president withdrew the initiative, although the the protests have not abated.
Store destroyed amid clashes between protesters and police in Colombia. AFP Photo
It is that in addition to the tax reform, the demonstrators denounce episodes of police violence. Added to this is the crisis due to the coronavirus, which places this country in the third most affected position in Latin America (only behind Brazil and Argentina).
In this context, unions and social organizations called for a “national strike” for Wednesday.
This Tuesday, meanwhile, there were roadblocks in the departments of Cundinamarca (center), Meta (center), Quindío (center-west) and Valle del Cauca (south-west).
Protests also spread to Bogotá and Cali, third city of the country, capital of the Valle del Cauca and epicenter of the Marches.
Since the start of the protests, Colombia has recorded at least 19 dead under repressive circumstances, 87 people disappeared, in addition to some 800 injured.
Civil society organizations claim, however, that the number of deaths is even higher.
“Support” and “ask” the police
Protesters denounce acts of police brutality in Colombia. Photo by Reuters
Regarding the complaints of police violence, Duque replied that “if an action outside the Constitution is brought which affects the rights of the people”, he will not accept it “in any way”.
“As corresponds to the rule of law, we will promote all internal investigations and with regulatory bodies. But we have to be clear: to those working for the safety of Colombians, all the support and at the same time all the requirement “he added, referring to the security forces’ response to the protests in recent days.
He also referred to the attacks which he said were suffered by troops in the streets.
“Nothing justifies that there are armed people who, protected by the legitimate desire of citizens to organize civic marches, go out to shoot defenseless citizens and cruelly attack our police,” said the president.
International condemnation
In the last hours, the international community denounced the disproportionate use of force by the Colombian police.
“Have been deeply alarmed due to the events in the city of Cali (…) last night, when the police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against the tax reform, killing and injuring several people, ”said the spokesperson for the Office of the United United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Students march through Bogotá, Colombia. EFE Photo
Marta Hurtado launched “an appeal for calm, given the extremely tense situation, with soldiers and police deployed to monitor the demonstration”.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s administration urged “the maximum moderation to the public forces to avoid further loss of human life. “
Mediator Carlos Camargo said an entity member and four others were attacked by soldiers while assisting detainees in Cali.
“They were threatened by agents of the national police who fired several times in the air and on the ground, threw stun grenades, verbally insulted them and demanded that they leave the scene,” he said. -he says.
Complaints of police brutality gained more publicity with posts by footballers and artists. Among the former players who repudiated the response to the marches is René Higuita, while singer Shakira sent a strong public letter to President Duque.
Even Puerto Rican René Pérez joined a social media streaming in which the police detained more than a dozen people.
Live broadcasts were one of the means the protesters used to document police abuse live.
With information from DPA, EFE and AFP
DS
.
[ad_2]
Source link
