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Crisis in Colombia: government pledges to investigate 21 homicides

2021-06-11T21:32:52.717Z


The Colombian government pledged Thursday, June 10 to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to shed light on 21 ...


The Colombian government pledged Thursday, June 10 to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to shed light on 21 deaths that occurred during the social mobilization that has shaken the country since the end of April.

President Iván Duque

"is fully committed to the conduct of all investigations (...) on the causes of the death of these 21 people for whom it has unfortunately been proven that they died in the context of the demonstrations"

, said Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucia Ramirez after a meeting in Bogotá with the delegation of the Inter-American Commission.

Read also: In Colombia, the power taken aback in the face of the protests that take root

The delegation of the IACHR, a Washington-based institution that depends on the Organization of American States (OAS), arrived in the country on Sunday to take stock of the human rights situation since the start of the social crisis. In particular, it met with conservative President Iván Duque, associations, victims and relatives of victims, as well as police officials, whose violent repression of demonstrators has been criticized.

The United Nations, the United States, the European Union and several international NGOs have notably denounced the serious excesses committed by the security forces.

At least 61 people have died since the protests began on April 28, according to the authorities and the Defense of the People, an independent public body responsible for ensuring respect for human rights.

The latter also submitted to the IACHR a report listing nearly 600 denunciations of human rights violations during the demonstrations.

Read also: Colombia sinks into serious social chaos

First targeting a tax reform project, since withdrawn, the protest then turned into a denunciation of government policy for a more egalitarian society in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Demonstrations take place every day across the country, more or less followed, accompanied by road blocks, and sometimes violent clashes between demonstrators and the police.

The arrival of the IACHR on Sunday coincided with the announcement by the Head of State of a reform of the police which notably provides for the creation of a

"human rights department"

, but without removing the supervision of the ministry. of the defense.

The IACHR will subsequently make

"observations and recommendations,"

said its president Antonia Urrejola.

Read also: Colombia: former president Uribe seeks support

The government will receive these recommendations

"with the will to continue to make improvements (...) so that the Colombian State is always a State which guarantees respect for human rights"

, assured Marta Lucia Ramirez.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-06-11

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