Colombia rejects several IACHR recommendations after protests

Situation in Colombia also affects business in the US 4:00

(CNN) -

Colombia rejected several recommendations presented by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) following the publication of a report on human rights abuses at the hands of Colombian security forces during the recent wave of protests.

The report, published this Wednesday, concludes that the Colombian security forces used "excessive and disproportionate force, including lethal force on several occasions" when confronting the protesters.

• What is the front line of the protests in Colombia and what are they asking for?

According to the Colombian Attorney General's Office, more than 20 people have died in the protests, but human rights organizations accuse the security forces of being behind the deaths of more than 70 protesters.

Protests in Medellín in May 2021. (Credit: JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP via Getty Images)

In a statement published this Wednesday, the Colombian Foreign Ministry reiterated that "most of the protests (in Colombia) were peaceful and did not require the intervention of the public force" and that the lethal cases involving members of the public force "are exceptional." .

The communiqué also rejected several recommendations, including that of separating the Colombian National Police from the Ministry of Defense and that of establishing a "Special Mechanism for Follow-up on Human Rights in Colombia," as presented by the IACHR.

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"Our state has a robust and solid institutional framework founded on democratic principles and guarantees for all citizens and, therefore, we do not consider a follow-up mechanism necessary," the statement said.

Throughout more than 60 days of protests, Colombian President Iván Duque has reiterated his commitment to fully prosecute alleged human rights violations at the hands of the police.

Sixteen cases of alleged murders at the hands of Colombian police officers are being investigated, the General Inspection of the Colombian National Police told CNN in a statement.

Human Rights Protests in Colombia