Colombia: Police Brutality Leaves 1 Dead, 40 Injured in Bogota

Protests against Colombia's President Ivan Duque continue after over a month since the National Strike began. On Monday night, the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) cracked down hard on protesters causing 1 death and 40 injuries in the Usme town in the Bogota District.

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While participating in protests in the Yomasa neighborhood, 33-year-old man Jaime Fandiño was shot by a tear gas grenade directly in his chest. He began to convulse but could not be immediately transferred to a medical center because the ESMAD was attempting to encircle the area by firing tear gas.

Later, Bogota's Interior Secretary Luis Ernesto Gomez confirmed that Fandiño was no longer alive when he was taken to a medical center in the Santa Librada neighborhood.

Commenting on the incident, Councilwoman Heidy Sanchez lamented Fandiño's death and recalled that three people have died in Bogota since April 28.

The meme reads, "According to FLazos Dignidad, there were approximately 75 people injured during the ESMAD harassment of Usme demonstrators".

The Metropolitan Police and ESMAD "do not comply with intervention protocols. In the midst of social protest, they are even carrying firearms to hold protesters," the "Defend Freedom" campaign denounced.

Protests in Usme continued late into the night despite police brutality. Mayor Claudia Lopez did not comment on what happened.

According to data compiled by human rights defenders, 74 people have died during the protests that began on April 28. Among those cases, 20 deaths are directly related to police shootings.