Medellín reports new clashes on the night of May 4

After a practically exemplary day of demonstrations, users of social networks in Medellín began to report on the night of Tuesday, May 4. new clashes between hooded men and members of the security forces in the Parque de los Deseos, a place that has served since April 28 as a starting point for the marches against the tax reform.

Although the reasons that triggered the crash are not known, many Twitter profiles began replying a few minutes ago “THEY LOCK AND DRAW PEOPLE FROM THE VOWS OF MEDELLIN PARK “. In video you can see how the demonstrators, in the middle of the central square of this park, throw stones and flee while in the background tear gas detonations are heard.

For the moment, no further information is known about the events, as neither the mayor’s office, Personería nor the local media in Medellín have published any official data on the clash between the authorities and the protesters. The closest thing we have so far are some trills posted on Juan Carlos Upegui’s personal account., Secretary of non-violence of the city.

In the first, the official says: “I am in the Parque de los Deseos in the middle of clashes between demonstrators and the police. The situation is complex. I make a call to stop the violence and take care of life above all consideration ”.

The second post, on the other hand, is more of a complaint, as it is accompanied by a video in which a young health worker reports being attacked with tear gas directly at the health post set up to deal with both young protesters and the police near Explora Park, one street from the scene of the clashes.

Regarding this last fact, Upegui specifies that “ESMAD releases gas at the health post. We demand proportionality and care for humanitarian personnel ”.

Beyond these data, those who provided enough information are the protesters themselves, supported by organizations such as the Cofradía para el Cambio, Copec, who through a live broadcast were able to demonstrate the moment when a member of the police, identified as the number 421626, apparently threatens to disappear the participants in the march. The same story denounced the police mobilizing on motorcycles without license plates.

Likewise, attacks by the police were reported against Santiago Vélez Piedrahita, university professor at the Polytechnic Jaime Isaza Cadavid, who allegedly saw one of his eyes engaged in trying to calm the spirits between the two camps. According to the organization Juventud Paz, the man has already been transferred to the León XIII university clinic. According to the victim, the blow was “directed”.

The riots, as well as the roadblocks at various points of the Medellín-Bogotá highway, prevail at this time despite the curfew in the city, which is in effect every day between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Regarding the situation, the mayor of the capital of Antioquia, Daniel Quintero Calle, only managed to publish the following message on Twitter: “Join my prayers so that as Colombians we find ways to meet and understand each other, so that no life is lost amid the protests and traders can sleep peacefully without the uncertainty of losing what little the pandemic has left them. “

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