Four people have died in and around Cali as nationwide protests move into a second month. Colombian President Ivan Duque has called upon more than 7,000 personnel to deal with the unrest in the region.
Colombia would begin “the maximum deployment” of military personnel in the western province of Valle del Cauca and its capital, Cali, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday, after four people died in protests to mark a month of anti-government demonstrations.
The four died in and around Cali on Friday as tens of thousands marched across the country in the latest in demonstrations that started on April 28 to oppose tax reform but have since expanded to include wide-ranging demands.
Talks between the government and protest leaders, including union leaders who have formed a national strike committee, have stalled.
“From tonight begins the
Can Colombia prevent another lockdown amid Brazilian COVID-19 threat?
April 9, 2021
Some of Colombia’s largest cities have been forced to reinstate lockdowns as a new surge in COVID-19 infections is knocking down hospitals and slowing down vaccination efforts.
Health Minister Fernando Ruiz and Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez declared an orange alert in the capital on Thursday, restricting its 7 million inhabitants’ access to shopping centers, banks and public buildings and a nightly curfew.
Authorities in Medellin and Barranquilla were forced to impose a 24-hour curfew until early Tuesday after their hospital systems collapsed.
The Brazilian threat
Valle del Cauca Governor Clara Luz Roldan warned that she may shut down Cali and surrounding cities as a COVID-19 variant from Brazil appears to be saturating hospitals.