Protests and Human Rights Violations in Colombia: First Alert
18 JUN 2021 | NEWS
by Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli
Given the large volume of reports we have received from Colombia since the start of the national strike on April 28, we are releasing English-language information about these human rights violations in two parts.
According to Temblores’ GRITA platform, a total of 4,285 cases of police violence were registered between the morning of April 28 and the afternoon of June 16. These abuses include 1,468 victims of physical violence by the police, 30 cases of improper use of the Venom projectile weapon by the riot police (Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios, ESMAD), 1,832 protestors arbitrarily detained, 734 violent interventions by the police, 70 victims of eye injuries, 215 cases of police shooting firearms, 28 victims of sexual violence by the police, and 41 cases of persons suffering from respiratory problems due to the use of tear gas.
Temblores also registered 43 cases of homicides, with an additional 21 in the process of being verified. 6 cases are in process of clarification as to whether the perpetrator forms part of the police force. 4 cases are attributed to armed civilians with indications that state forces participated. 8 cases are in process of verification as to the scene and context in which they took place. 4 cases are in process of having the complaint verified.
Below find the cases brought to our attention in the past weeks:
State Security Forces Threaten Indigenous Participating in Protests (Cauca)
On May 22, the Inter-Ecclesial Commission for Justice and Peace (Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz, CIJP) shared two disturbing accounts of how state security forces threatened Nasa Indigenous participating in protests in the Cauca department. On May 20, three soldiers assigned to the Domingo Rico military battalion—who guard the Dantayaco well that belongs to the Gran Tierra Energy (GTE) company—stated in the presence of Nasa Indigenous guards, “the solution [to end the protests] is to bring in paramilitaries to finish everything.” On May 22, members of the anti-narcotics police, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hernández, entered the Caño Rarayaco River sector, where more than 300 people participating in the national strike were present. According to the CIJP, the uniformed officers intimidatingly and rudely demanded immediate passage to the blockade carried out by the demonstrators and took photographs. Lieutenant Colonel Hernandez insistently inquired about the communities present at the demonstration, and later told his officers to lay off. He then made a threat that instead they would later retaliate with forced eradication processes in Nasa territories. If this action is carried out, not only would it be illegal given it ignores processes of free and informed prior consultation, but it would also be a clear retaliation to the right to social protest.
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Volunteer Medic Attending to Injured Protestors Murdered (Valle del Cauca)
On May 24, unknown armed actors in a pick-up truck shot and murdered Armando Álvarez, a deputy manager of the ESE health network in eastern Cali, Valle del Cauca department. In the context of the protests related to the national strike, Álvarez managed medical attention for the injured protestors and also accompanied the families of the victims, which is why he was known as the “guardian angel” of the Resistance Port (Puerto Resistencia) sector. During the national strike, Cali has been the city most affected by state-sanctioned violence. Also, similar to what occurred with the Indigenous minga in Cali, strange vans have been observed on a daily basis and they are presumed to be part of a quasi-paramilitary dynamic aiming to suppress the social protests. Contagio Radio reported that at least three people linked to volunteer medical attention have denounced surveillance and threats against their lives. U.K.-based NGO Justice for Colombia also reported on the murder of volunteer medic Álvarez.
More:
https://www.wola.org/2021/06/protests-and-human-rights-violations-in-colombia-first-alert/
