• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > Colombia

Colombia: Police Brutality Leaves 75 Citizens Killed so Far

  • Third Channel reporter hit by a tear gas canister, Medellin, Colombia, June 28, 2021.

    Third Channel reporter hit by a tear gas canister, Medellin, Colombia, June 28, 2021. | Photo: Twitter / @Jahfrann

Published 29 June 2021
Opinion

There have been 3,486 cases of police violence since April 28. Among them, 1,468 out of 1,832 persons arbitrarily detained reported physical abuse.

The Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (INDEPAZ) and the NGO Temblores on Monday denounced that state terrorism and paramilitary actions have caused 75 deaths since the National Strike began on April 28.

RELATED:

Colombia Still Has No Solutions After Two Months of Protests

The latest edition of the "Figures of Violence" (CV) report claims that 44 out of 75 murders are directly attributable to members of the Anti-Riot Mobile Squad (ESMAD).

The murder cases were distributed according to age groups in the following way: 32 citizens killed were between 18 and 25 years old; 19 citizens were between 26 and 50 years old; 16 people killed could not be identified; five people killed were minors; and three victims were between 60 and 80 years old.

The CV report states that 83 people had serious eye injuries as a result of projectiles fired by the security forces. Also, human rights organizations received reports of 28 people sexually assaulted by members of the police or the army. Among the most frequent practices of sexual violence were verbal harassment, discrimination, and violent threats.

Colombian NGOs registered 3,486 cases of police violence during the National Strike. Among them, 1,468 out of 1,832 persons arbitrarily detained reported physical abuse.

"The responsibility of the members of the public forces has to do with evidently irregular actions such as omissions and complicity, which should be investigated by national and international institutions," INDEPAZ pointed out.

"We warn about the arbitrary and disproportionate use of force by the Colombian National Police, which systematically violates the right to protest and other rights recognized by the Constitution."

On Monday night, the violence of ESMAD members became evident once again in Popayan, the capital city of the Cauca department. For hours, the police harshly repressed the protesters through actions that even attacked members of human rights organizations.

On Tuesday morning, the NGO Proceso Social de Garantias denounced that ESMAD attacked a peaceful march that was advancing along a highway in Medellin, as reported by local outlet Caracol.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.