1,773 Cases of Police Violence Reported During Protests in Colombia

The organization in defense of Human Rights, Temblores, denounced this Friday, in a communiqué, 1,773 cases of physical violence committed by the Police, among them 37 homicides for this cause, since the beginning of the social mobilizations in Colombia.

"We have to inform the citizens, the international community, and the media that our Plataforma Grita has been able to record that between April 28 and May 7, at least 1,773 cases of violence by the security forces occurred nationwide," the text states.

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The organization states that the data results from rigorous work of verification and triangulation of the complaints registered since April 28 by citizens through the different channels of communication established for that purpose. 

At the same time, there have been 37 homicides in which the presumed aggressor is a member of the security forces, 936 arbitrary detentions against demonstrators.

Likewise, it points out that the police forces have carried out 341 violent interventions during peaceful protests, 28 victims of ocular aggressions, 105 cases of firearm shots,, and 11 victims of sexual violence have been reported. 

"For nine consecutive days, and despite the violence with which the State has repressed the social protests, citizens have come out en masse to demonstrate and claim their rights in the streets," says the organization.

"As the violence by the State intensifies, citizen anger grows,, and the records of police violence increase. We have alerted the international community of the dire human rights situation that the country is going through", adds the communiqué. 

The organization reiterates its willingness to continue registering and communicating each of the complaints to which it has access through communication channels to give them due legal attention. At the same time, to continue "seeking strategies to guarantee the fundamental rights of the demonstrators." 

Temblores recommends citizens safely document the violent acts due to the seriousness of the repressive practices that have occurred in the last few nights and evidence.  

"The presence of agents in civilian clothes inside the demonstrations, the attacks with firearms by armed groups outside the law, the censorship of social networks reported by citizens,, and the power cuts in some areas of the country," the statement said.