Colombia enforcement forces are responsible for “very serious” human rights violations during the suppression of anti-government demonstrations in Spring, is found in a United Nations High Commissioning Report on Human Rights.
In a document released Wednesday, the UNHCR delegation in Colombia said authorities had made “useless and disproportionate use of force” during popular protests in the Latin American country between April 28 and July 31.
During this period, UN experts were able to confirm 46 deaths (44 civilians, two police officers). 76% of the victims succumbed to gunshot wounds.
“There are reasonable grounds for believing that police officers were responsible for at least 28 of these deaths and that at least ten members were involved,” said the riot police (ESMAD).
“Ten people were killed by non-state actors,” the report said, adding that protesters “were attacked and targeted by gunmen without the intervention of security forces.”
These figures are in stark contrast to those announced by Colombian prosecutors. The prosecution speaks of 29 homicides in the spring episodes.
On April 28, there was a widespread protest against conservative President Ivan Duque and his government over a plan to raise taxes amid a new coronavirus pandemic and economic collapse.
The movement crystallized the anger and frustration felt by many Colombians, and police repression made matters worse. At least 60 people have been killed in the violence, according to the ombudsman’s office, an independent public authority responsible for protecting human rights.
However, the mass mobilizations escalated in the summer, while a new reform of the tax system, revised and corrected, passed in an atmosphere of rather indifference in mid-September.
Clearly annoyed, the Duke’s government has made it clear that it does not agree with the “large number of declarations” in the UN inquiry.
“We can in no way allow them (the UN experts) to come and judge the institutions and the rule of law as inappropriate,” said Colombian Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucia Ramirez. during an interview he gave to a Colombian radio station.
The report “creates widespread distrust of institutions” at a time when the government has shown it has “zero tolerance for violations” of fundamental human rights, Ramirez said.
For its part, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urged the Colombian state to investigate the incident “in a swift, impartial and transparent manner” and to “guarantee (compensation for) the victims”.
The report of YA also mentions “60 cases of sexual violence” by members of the police, “of which 16 have been verified so far”.
“The degree of criminalization and stigmatization of the protesters”, especially “by the media” who portrayed them as “vandals” as “accused of terrorist acts” is described as “also worrying” in the text.
Although it notes that “some demonstrators committed atrocities and (caused) damage”, the report emphasizes that “the vast majority of the demonstrations were peaceful”.
On Monday, an independent UN-backed inquiry denounced police brutality, which led to the “slaughter” of 14 protesters in September 2020. The death of a man during his violent arrest, recorded in video and spread on social networking sites, sparked three days of unrest in Bogota.
Source: AMPE
.
Source From: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
