Reactions after Iván Duque’s order to deploy the public force to lift the blockades

On the night of Monday, May 17, the President of the Republic, Iván Duque Márquez, announced that the order had been given to deploy all the maximum operational capacity of the public force to unblock roads throughout the country due to the national strike. This function must be supported by mayors and governors in order to guarantee effective mobilization and limit the problem of shortages.

“In our country there is a constitutional basis for peaceful protest which is always guaranteed and it is the duty of the state to enable its development, but we have seen roadblocks that have affected millions of citizens, we have seen millions of people affected in their mobility and the impact they have made on the movement of food “the president said in a speech.

He added that: “These types of practices are illegal and are censored in the country’s penal code. Therefore, we have worked with all levels of government and we have also worked with them to advance the unlocking and enable normalcy ”.

The president also pointed out that during the dialogue, there was a vehement rejection of the blockades by the governors, mayors and businessmen who participated in them. Consequently, the order was given to the public force to intervene on each of the illegal blockades and to allow the mobility of citizens.

“We have instructed all levels of law enforcement to deploy its maximum operational capacity, so that, with due regard for proportionality and strict respect for human rights and protection, it enables all Colombians to regain their mobility “, he stressed.

Before this announcement, there were several reactions for and against, because on the one hand, there are those who agree that the blockades that have already been in place for more than 20 days should be lifted, while the other side rejects the decision because it will generate more violence.

The Leader of the Opposition, Gustavo Petro, was forceful in his statement and stressed that this order would result in a massacre.

On the contrary, Interior Minister Daniel Palacios endorsed the president’s decision and relied on the political constitution, arguing that blockades “are not a right”.

Former President of Colombia and Director of the Liberal Party, Cesar Gaviria TrujilloHe expressed in an official statement that he and his party did not agree with the announcement as they saw it as a mistake and that more deaths could be generated than what has been presented so far.

Angela Maria Robledo, House representative and vice-presidential formula of Gustavo Petro in 2018, also followed the line and expressed concern that she believes the violence that has been seen in peaceful protests is now transferred to the streets.

Senator of the Republic, Armando BenedettiHe also estimated that the president’s order will only have the effect of provoking more violence in the streets.

Senators too, Roy Barreras and Jorge Enrique RobledoThey were against the decision and agreed that dialogue should be a priority instead of sending more public forces.

The Ambassador of Colombia to the OAS, Alejandro ordonez, endorsed the president’s decision and showed his support for the law enforcement agencies in the various tasks they will carry out.

Maria jose pizarro, Bogotá House representative for the Decentes coalition, also spoke out and made it clear that such measures end up violating human rights.

The former candidate for mayor of Bogotá, Miguel uribe, approved the order to lift the blockades, but reiterated that this function must be performed without violence.

Francisco Maltese, president of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, said after the meeting with the national government that the order to lift the blockades should generate more conflict.

“Ivan Duque declares war on unemployment, when he orders the deployment of the maximum of military and police forces on the sites of peaceful concentration that exist in the country as part of the national strike”, assured the official.

Likewise, in the entity’s official networks, they made it clear that any type of advanced blockade would not affect the lives and health of Colombians.

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