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Colombia: protests against police repression turn to chaos in the south of the country

2021-05-16T17:46:53.159Z


Demonstrations against police repression in Colombia erupted with violence in Popayán, in the southwest of the country, where a young girl from ...


Protests against police repression in Colombia erupted with violence in Popayán, in the southwest of the country, where a 17-year-old girl committed suicide after being forcibly picked up and assaulted by police officers.

An AFP journalist on Friday noted unrest and violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces in this city, without there being yet an official death toll or damage.

Read also: Colombia sinks into serious social chaos

The violence took place on Wednesday evening when a minor was forcibly taken to the prosecutor's office by police who dispersed a demonstration against the government.

In a video that has gone viral, the young girl can be seen screaming as they immobilize her feet and hands and take her away.

According to the Human Rights and Guarantees Commission, which accompanies the protests against the government, the minor said she was beaten and touched.

The girl committed suicide Thursday at her home.

The police, who denied the abuses, announced the suspension of four police officers involved in the affair.

The building of the prosecutor's office where the girl was being held was set on fire on Friday.

A group of demonstrators also gathered in front of the Popayán police headquarters to protest the attack.

The attorney general's office, which oversees civil servants in Colombia, has launched an investigation to determine the responsibility of the police officers involved in the case.

The interior and defense ministers arrived in Popayán on Saturday at the request of President Iván Duque, who charged them with

"reestablishing public order in the city".

A total of 42 people were killed, including 41 civilians and a member of the security forces, during the clashes that have punctuated the demonstrations that Colombia has been experiencing since April 28, according to the Defender of the People, a public protection body. human rights office of the ombudsman.

There have been more than 1,500 injured among civilians and police, according to the Defense Ministry.

Colombia is in the grip of a strong social mobilization against the government, marked by deadly violence in this country whose economy has deteriorated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The demonstrators also denounce the repression exerted by the security forces, calling for in-depth reforms of the police.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-05-16

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