Tense exchange between Álvaro Uribe and Fernando del Rincón 2:44
(CNN in Spanish) -
While the strong protests continue in Colombia, unleashed by the Government's tax reform proposal and exacerbated by reports of abuses by the public force, here are five sentences from the tense interview with former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez in Conclusions of CNN with Fernando del Rincón.
Check out the full interview here.
«Violence is one thing and protest is another»
Twitter deleted, for "glorifying violence", a tweet by former President Álvaro Uribe that said "Let's support the right of soldiers and police to use their weapons to defend their integrity and to defend people and property from the criminal action of terrorism vandalism ”.
In an interview with CNN, the former president stated: “To the protest, I respect;
to violence, authority.
What is happening in Colombia?
Tax reform, protests, militarization of cities and threats to the UN
"The police must also be protected by human rights"
Álvaro Uribe asks to protect the human rights of the police officers 2:47
«When they assaulted the policeman, as we have seen, 500 policemen attacked, one murdered, the other wounded, man, they burned a hotel in the city of Cali because they had protected some policemen who were there resting and without weapons.
So, according to the Constitution, with human rights, the police have the right to defend their integrity and the duty to protect citizens and their property, "Uribe said in the interview.
This has been the police response to the demonstrations in Colombia
“Here we are not asking that protesters be shot.
Never.
Here what we are asking is that the police be respected »
The ex-president referred to the deleted tweet and said that «this country that had a very big problem, that it continues to have, of guerrillas and that had a paramilitary problem that my government surpassed, is a country that needs to rely exclusively on the armed forces institutional ».
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Regarding the complaints of police abuses in the face of the protests that are taking place in the country, Uribe said that "we must let the investigations be carried out."
Mayor of Bogotá asks for support from the security forces for strong protests
"There are a series of pronouncements by international organizations that are totally biased against the Armed Forces of Colombia"
Amnesty International's Director for the Americas, Erika Guevara Rosas, said that “the Colombian authorities must promptly, independently and impartially investigate all allegations of excessive and unnecessary use of force against protesters, which has resulted in dozens of people deaths and injuries, arbitrary detentions, acts of torture and sexual violence, and reports of missing persons ”.
Faced with this statement, Uribe said that "(Amnesty International) is quite lost in the Colombian reality" and added that "they have just given a report from the Attorney General's Office, which is very strict, in the sense that some people who appeared to be registered as missing have already appeared ».
“This is a country that handles the issue of arrests very carefully.
Here they cannot speak with that speed, with that lightness, of torture, ”said Uribe.
On Tuesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, Juliette de Rivero, denounced attacks and threats against members of the commission who were investigating the protests.
UN Human Rights in Colombia denounces threats and attacks in Cali
"I who support the government of President Duque, I think that this reform was unfortunate"
Do Álvaro Uribe's statements hurt Iván Duque?
1:24
Former President Uribe said that the tax reform proposed by the government of President Iván Duque seems "unfortunate."
Iván Duque says that he will not accept acts against "people's rights" and announces a space "to listen to citizens"
However, he added: "But President Duque not only withdrew it but also said that he is going to seek some resources, as many of us had requested, that the wealthiest sectors of the country pay for it, in order to address poverty."
In addition, Uribe affirmed that "the government of President Duque is a government with a great democratic structure."
Álvaro Uribe Protests