Protests Shatter Already Fragile Image of Colombia's Security Forces
COLOMBIA
/11 MAY 2021 BY JUAN DIEGO POSADA
Colombia’s current political crisis has led to severe clashes between police and protesters in many of the country’s largest cities. But recent actions carried out by security forces could have a severe impact on their ability to fight criminal groups in the future.
On April 5, the government announced a controversial tax reform plan. After weeks of contestation, thousands of people poured onto the streets from April 28 to declare a national strike. A violent response from police, as well as armed civilians who reportedly also attacked protesters, has left at least 47 dead between April 28 and May 9, according to Temblores, a Colombian non-profit focused on social activism.
While President Iván Duque has withdrawn the proposed legislation, the violence shown by police has not stopped. And the president has ordered that army troops be deployed onto the streets of several cities to contain protesters. Reports of police brutality appear daily on Twitter and Instagram, with videos appearing to show police assaulting civilians in a disproportionate manner.
Colombia’s police force has faced a litany of abuse allegations in recent years. In November 2019, during another phase of social and political upheaval in the country, the violent repression of protests also led to several deaths, most notably that of 17-year-old Dilan Cruz, who was shot in the back of the head.
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