May 6, 2021
Colombia’s defense minister gave police a “standing ovation” for the allegedly “criminal actions against the population” that killed at least 30 anti-government protesters in a week.
Defense Minister Diego Molano’s praise for the alleged police was arguably his most insane comment since taking office in February and sinking the country in an indescribable crisis.
The United Nations’ human rights office released a blistering statement in which they expressed “our profound shock” after “police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against tax reforms, reportedly killing and injuring a number of people.” on Monday.
Our office in Colombia is working to verify the exact number of casualties, and establish how this terrible incident came about in Cali. Human rights defenders are also reporting they have been harassed and threatened.
Fresh protests called in Colombia after 19 die
HIGHLY CRITICIZED BILL: The government on Sunday ordered that the tax reform proposal be withdrawn from Congress, but rallies continued across the nation
AFP, BOGOTA
Protesters in Colombia on Monday called for a new mass rally after 19 people died and more than 800 were wounded in clashes during five days of demonstrations against a proposed government tax reform.
The office of Colombia’s human rights ombudsman said that 18 civilians and a police officer died in violence during the protests that began throughout the nation on Wednesday last week, while 846 people, including 306 civilians, were injured.
From a police cell in La Paz, Áñez called on the Organization of American States and the European Union to send missions to Bolivia to evaluate what she called “an illegal detention”.
The arrest of Áñez and warrants against numerous other former officials further worsened political tensions in a South American country already torn by perceived wrongs suffered by both sides.
Those include complaints that Morales, whose party is now back in power, had grown more authoritarian in 13 years in office, that he illegally ran for a fourth election and then allegedly rigged the outcome, that right-wing forces led violent protests that prompted security forces to push him into resigning and then cracked down on his followers, who themselves protested the alleged coup.