Indigenous people from the Emberá community confront the police in the center of Bogotá.RR SS
The tragedy of the Embera indigenous people who have been living in settlements in Bogotá for two years exploded this Wednesday like a pressure cooker.
A group staged a protest in the streets of the center of the capital that ended in a real pitched battle.
Authorities say some protesters began attacking public officials with sticks and stones before the police showed up.
Both the Mayor's Office and the Government have condemned the events, which have left 24 injured, including 11 policemen.
President Gustavo Petro also rejected the use of violence.
“I reject and condemn the acts experienced today in Bogotá.
Several members of the Public Force and civilians were injured.
Aggression against a police officer will never be a protest, ”he tweeted.
The absence of dialogue always generates more violence.
I reject and condemn the acts experienced today in Bogotá.
Several members of the Public Force and civilians were injured.
Aggression against a police officer will never be a protest.
– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) October 19, 2022
The Mayor's Office of Bogotá has affirmed that the indigenous people blocked access to several buildings, despite the alleged willingness of the authorities to dialogue.
Meanwhile, human rights organizations have denounced that the Police stationed themselves outside the Avianca building despite the fact that, until then, it was a peaceful protest.
The local authorities have responded that the public force intervened to “recover the area” and that “unjustified violence” took place.
The history of the indigenous people in Bogotá goes back two years.
Some 2,000 families arrived in the capital from different parts of the country fleeing the violence.
For eight months they barely lived in a huge and unhealthy camp that occupied the National Park.
They then reached an agreement with the authorities to return to their territories "safely" or stay in shelters in the city.
Now they denounce that the Government has not complied and that they live in overcrowded conditions in the neighborhood of La Rioja.
"We are vulnerable victims, we have no subsidies, we have nothing," said Rosmira Campo, leader of the department of Risaralda.
For a mob of indigenous people to savagely beat a police officer lying on the ground and a young female auxiliary high school student who is serving is a reprehensible and unacceptable act.
Resistance is NOT that!
NO to justice by one's own hand! All violence must be rejected by the Government!
pic.twitter.com/yM83akoDxQ
— Roy Barreras (@RoyBarreras) October 19, 2022
The mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López, raised her voice this Wednesday to demand help from the Government in managing the crisis.
“Bogotá is the only city and entity that has given refuge and humanitarian aid to the Emberas for more than two years!
It is inadmissible that our servers are attacked!
The national government neither prevents their displacement nor guarantees their safe return.
Bogotá cannot go on alone in this!”, she complained.
One of the president's campaign promises was to dismantle the Mobile Riot Squad (ESMAD), accused of violently repressing social protests, which in Colombia add up to dozens of dead protesters.
Sectors of the right criticized Petro for what they considered a lack of support for the public force.
The president's message this Wednesday debunks these accusations.
The president of the Senate, Roy Barreras, has also repudiated the violence.
“The resistance is not that!
No to justice by one's own hand! ”, One of the legislators closest to the president has declared on social networks.
Nothing justifies the aggression suffered this afternoon by 14 members of the National Police at the hands of indigenous people in Bogotá.
The aggressors must be prosecuted and punished.
– Iván Velásquez Gómez (@Ivan_Velasquez_) October 19, 2022
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