Faced with the social anger that has been raging for a month in Colombia, President Ivan Duque ordered Friday, May 28, the deployment of the army in the streets of Cali, epicenter of demonstrations.
"
From this night begins the maximum deployment of military assistance to the national police in the city of Cali
", announced the president in this city of 2.2 million inhabitants, the third in the country, where he has chaired a security council.
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New protests left at least three people dead in the city on Friday, including an investigator from the Cali prosecutor's office who shot at the crowd, killing a civilian, before being lynched by protesters.
The violence comes exactly one month after the April 28 uprising against a quickly abandoned tax reform project led by right-wing President Ivan Duque, which aimed to increase VAT and broaden the income tax base.
These three new deaths bring the number of deaths to 49, including 2 police officers, listed by the authorities.
Some 2,000 people were injured and 123 are missing.
Human Rights Watch reports up to 63 deaths.
Read also: Colombia: the Pope calls for dialogue, defends "the right to demonstrate peacefully"
"
The situation in Cali is very serious,
" tweeted José Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, who urged President Duque to take "
urgent de-escalation measures, including a specific order to ban the use of firearms by state agents. Colombia cannot deplore more deaths
”.
