Colombians To Mobilize in Support of Peace and Democracy

Social, peasant and indigenous organizations in Colombia will mobilize this Wednesday in the country's capital in support of peace, democracy and popular participation.

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They also called for peaceful mobilizations in the cities of Bucaramanga, Cali, Barranquilla, Tadó, Casanare, Medellín and other regions of the country.

The organizers estimate that around 1,000 social leaders from different regions of Colombia will arrive in the capital to participate in the different activities scheduled for August 2.

According to the organizations calling for the mobilization, peace in Colombia must be achieved through strong actions by the Government and by the Colombian people.

They maintain that there are multiple peace initiatives born from the struggles of the Colombian people. Therefore, they consider that the participation of society in the construction of peace is key, as well as social, political and security guarantees.

Among the demands of the social, peasant and indigenous movements, they will also demand the dismantling of paramilitary groups in several rural areas of the South American country.

Violence and persecution of social leaders is another of the concerns of the organizers of the marches in several Colombian cities.

In this regard, the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz) stated that in the first eight months of 2023, 98 leaders have been murdered in Colombia.

Indepaz also confirmed that 24 peace signatories have been murdered so far this year. Similarly, the human rights organization reported that 56 massacres occurred in 2023.