30 April 2021: Flames rise from a burning barricade behind a riot police officer during confrontations after a protest in Cali, Colombia, against neoliberal reforms and growing poverty. (Photograph by Luis Robayo/ AFP)
Colombian security forces have killed more than 40 people since recent protests began on 28 April, according to
Temblores, a Colombian non-governmental organisation (NGO) that documents state violence. Along with countless cases of torture and sexual assault, around 500 people remain missing since the protests began and could have been “disappeared”, a reality all too familiar to Colombians.
The actual number of deaths is likely higher as chaos and uncertainty unfolded during the continuing general strike, with President Iván Duque threatening to declare martial law if the protests continue. The military was deployed onto the streets of major cities across the country and distressing videos of police brutality continue to flood social media.
The deadly violence by police and paramilitary groups against protesters in Colombia is made possible by the military aid of the government's Western allies.