U N Human Rights Chief Calls for 'End to All Forms of Violence' After Troops Deployed Over Colombian
Published on
Sunday, May 30, 2021
by Common Dreams
U N Human Rights Chief Calls for 'End to All Forms of Violence' After Troops Deployed Over Colombian Protests
Dozens of people have died during the past month of demonstrations, which have been met with deadly attacks by the nation's law enforcement.
by Jessica Corbett, staff writer
Colombian soldiers stand by as people march during a national strike in the city of Cali on May 8, 2021. (Photo: Paola Mafla/AFP via Getty Images)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet responded to the Colombian president's decision to deploy thousands of troops after a month of protests by calling for an end to all violence and urging negotiations over key national policies, which had stalled but were set to resume Sunday.
Bachelet, in a statement Sunday, specifically expressed concern about reports that since Friday, at least 14 people have died and 98 people have been injured in the Colombian city of Cali—one of the primary protest sites over the past month—and that an off-duty judicial police officer and others have fired at demonstrators.
"These events are all the more concerning given the progress that had been made to resolve, through dialogue, the social unrest that erupted a month ago, following the start of a nationwide strike against several social and economic policies of the government," she said. "It is essential that all those who are reportedly involved in causing injury or death, including state officials, are subject to prompt, effective, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations and that those responsible are held accountable."
"I call for an end to all forms of violence, including vandalism, and for all sides to continue talking to each other, and to ensure respect for the life and dignity of all people," she continued. "I welcome the commitment voiced by several actors, in Cali and at the national level, to find a negotiated and peaceful solution to the social unrest through talks."
More:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/05/30/un-human-rights-chief-calls-end-all-forms-violence-after-troops-deployed-over