By Alejandra Garcia on December 16, 2021
ESMAD, photo: Jim Glade
A quick internet search for the term “Colombia” returns some pretty grim results: Violence has no end and police brutality is responsible for the deaths of scores of protesters in the southern country.There is one particular publication by the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz) that shows an almost-endless list with the names of over 80 victims who lost their lives during the protests that broke out in the country at the end of last April.
Several names stand out: Jeisson García, 13 years old, received several gunshot wounds, by the notorious National Police Anti-riot Squad (ESMAD). Marcelo Agredo Inchima, 17 years old, was killed by a shot from the National Police. Maria Jovita Osorio, 73 years old, mother, head of household, died of asphyxiation after a tear gas capsule thrown by ESMAD fell inside her house. Evelio de Jesús Florez, 86 years old, died of asphyxiation after inhaling gas.
The pain for each death is still intact eight months after the massive demonstrations against President Ivan Duque that took place from April to July. Today, Colombia is again in the news for the horror experienced by the people in the streets of Cali, Pereira, Bogota, and 850 other municipalities in the country.
This Wednesday, a new report from the United Nations (UN) exposed that the organization had notifications of 63 deaths, most allegedly committed by public forces.
So far, after months of investigation, the UN was able to verify 46 of the reported deaths, which included 44 civilians and two police officers. It also found that 76 percent of those killed died from gunshot wounds.
Through the information gathered, the organization found “reasonable grounds” to assert that at least 28 of the deaths were caused by police officers and that at least ten of them were the responsibility of ESMAD members.
“Ten people were allegedly victims of non-state actors. Due to lack of data, it has not been possible to establish who killed eight other protesters,” the study explained, adding that police used unnecessary or disproportionate force to disperse peaceful demonstrations and blockades.
“Colombia needs to change the way it deals with public protests to avoid more deaths and injuries to those exercising their freedom of expression,” the organization stated, fueling discussions on police reform, longed for since the days of the protests.
Minutes after the report’s release, Duque’s spokespersons rushed to accuse the UN representative in Colombia, Juliette de Rivero, of political manipulation and favoring campaigns to discredit the security forces. They even accused her of transgressing her functions or mission in Colombia.
“We have a respectful relationship with the United Nations system. But it does not seem appropriate to us that a person who represents such an important system should participate in an investigation whose real purpose is political,” questioned Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez.
“So these are not light assertions but findings of facts that are already in the public domain and are now being analyzed by an independent team backed by the international community,” Indepaz stressed.
Hundreds of wounded and dozens of deaths due to police brutality “cannot be considered isolated events or unrelated to the responsibility of the higher commanders and civilian authorities who have the constitutional responsibility of directing the public force,” the Institute added.
The Colombian people will never forgive these crimes going on unpunished and hidden from real investigation for so long . The country has already suffered decades of permanent violence, corruption of the great elites, the drug cartel mafia, social and labor insecurity, and economic crisis. It needs once and for all the longed-for peace. In the corporate media somehow Colombia has an exemption when it comes to reporting corruption, drug running and especially police brutality but the truth is now starting to make its way to the light of day.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – English